Overview
Cryoablation for cancer is a treatment that uses extreme cold directly on cancer cells, causing them to die. During cryoablation, thin metal probes are placed into the area where the cancer is located. The probes are filled with a gas that freezes nearby tissue.
Cryoablation can treat many kinds of cancer. It's typically used when surgery isn't an option. Cryoablation also may be used to ease pain and other symptoms caused by cancer that has spread.
Cryoablation is called a minimally invasive procedure because it does not require open surgery with large cuts through the skin. Cryoablation for cancer also is known as cryosurgery or cryotherapy.
Why it's done
Cryoablation freezes cancer cells, causing those cells to die.
Cryoablation for cancer typically is used when people can't have surgery to treat the cancer. For example, it may be recommended when cancer is too large to be surgically removed. Or it may be useful for people who have other health conditions that make surgery unsafe.
Cryoablation can be a helpful treatment for many types of cancer, including:
- Bone cancer.
- Breast cancer.
- Kidney cancer.
- Liver cancer.
- Lung cancer.
- Prostate cancer.
Cryoablation also may be used to ease pain and other symptoms that can be caused by cancer that has spread to the bone, to other organs or to lymph nodes.
Risks
As with any medical procedure, cryoablation for cancer has risks. These risks include bleeding, blood clots and infection. It's also possible to have a bad reaction to medicines called anesthetics that prevent pain during the procedure.
Other risks of cryoablation for cancer include pain in the treated area that lasts and injury to healthy organs and tissue.
Some people have an illness called post-ablation syndrome that happens several days after cryoablation. It typically involves a fever and other symptoms that are similar to the flu. In general, post-ablation syndrome lasts about five days. But in some people, it may not go away for 2 to 3 weeks.
Rarely, a condition called cryoreaction can happen soon after cryoablation. It may cause chills, fever, a fast heartbeat and fast, shallow breathing. It also may lead to kidney damage. But that damage often is temporary.
A more serious version of cryoreaction is cryoshock. This is a life-threatening condition that can lead to organ failure. It's not clear what causes cryoshock. But it happens most often when cryoablation is used to treat liver cancer.
How you prepare
Imaging tests often are done before cryoablation to help plan the procedure. The tests may include ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
You may need to stop taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medicines several days before cryoablation. These can include warfarin (Jantoven), apixaban (Eliquis), heparin and other medicines such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others). Do not stop taking this medicine without talking to a member of your care team first.
You likely will need to stop eating or drinking for a certain amount of time before cryoablation. Your healthcare team gives you directions to follow before the procedure.
You may have to stay in the hospital overnight after cryoablation. But some people can go home the same day. Arrange for a ride home when you leave the hospital.
What you can expect
During cryoablation for cancer
Cryoablation for cancer is done in a hospital. You may be given medicine called a general anesthetic to put you in a sleep-like state. Sometimes a regional anesthetic is used so that you'll be aware of your surroundings, but you won't feel anything in the area that's being treated.
Once the anesthetic takes effect, your healthcare professional:
- Inserts thin metal probes or needles into the area where the cancer is located.
- Watches images made by an ultrasound, CT or MRI to make sure the probes or needles are in the right place.
- Releases a gas to circulate through the probes or needles that causes freezing in the tissue.
- Watches and controls the temperature of the needles and the amount of freezing within the tissue.
After cryoablation for cancer
You might be able to go home the day of the procedure, or you may need to spend the night in the hospital. You may be given an antibiotic to prevent infection.
After the procedure, you may have some soreness and bruising for several days where the probes or needles were placed. Most people can go back to their usual activities within a few days.
Results
After cryoablation for cancer, you have regular follow-up exams, along with imaging scans and laboratory tests, to check how the cancer is responding to treatment. Ask your healthcare team when you can expect to know the results.