As more and more consumers become aware of the risks of traditional cancer treatments, hospitals in the United States are finally beginning to respond. Some doctors are becoming open to modalities which can complement traditional cancer treatment. U.S.-based clinical trials show cyroablation to be especially effective for early-stage Breast Cancers.
What is Cryoablation?
Cryoablation is a way of destroying cancer tumor cells through the use of deep-freeze. A doctor first uses ultrasound imaging to identify the tumor. Next, he inserts a very thin, needle-like instrument called a cryoprobe directly into the tumor. The device releases liquid nitrogen gas inside the tumor, which can be as cold as -75 °C. This freezes the tumor. Then the practitioner allows the tumor to thaw. The process is repeated several times until enough blood flow is interrupted to cause cancer cell death, or apoptosis.
The procedure can be done in an outpatient setting while the patient is under local anesthesia. What’s more, it is considered fairly safe. In fact, many studies have pointed to the success of cryoablation for chronic atrial fibrillation, also known as arrhythmia, in both adults [1] and children [2]. For this condition, liquid nitrogen is used to freeze abnormal electrical pathways in the heart.
The modality has also been successful for removing noncancerous tumors in the breast [3] (called fibroadenomas) as well as in the treatment for liver, lung, cervical, prostate, eye, bone and kidney cancers. [4] For an interesting 30 second video showing cryoablation in action on a liver tumor, click HERE [5].
Cryoablation and Breast Cancer
Cryoablation for cancer is sometimes also called percutaneous cryoablation, cryosurgery or cryotherapy. Interestingly, 
research into how super cold temperatures can kill cancer cells has been ongoing since the early 1900’s. The medical establishment in Europe recognized cryotherapy as a viable treatment modality for cancer and other conditions in the 1990’s. In the United States, the “Frosty” trial [6], sponsored in part by the Mayo Clinic, put cyroablation on the map for patients suffering from tachycardia. The success of this modality paved the way for more cancer-specific studies.
Cryoablation in Clinical Trials
In 2003, radiologist Dr. Peter Littrup [7]began performing cryoablation on women with Stages I through IV Breast Cancer with great success. Recently, new clinical trials have been underway to test cryoablation’s effect on early stage Breast Cancers. A 2016 phase II clinical trial [8] on cryoablation and early Breast Cancer was conducted by New York Presbyterian Hospital and the Joan and Sanford Weill Medical College of Cornell University. The study took place with the participation of researchers in over a dozen other U.S. institutions. These included Duke University, MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Southern California.
The study examined 86 patients at 19 centers across the country. They found that cyroablation had a 92 percent success rate for destroying targeted cancers. It also had a 100 percent success rate at getting within one centimeter of the targeted tumor. A report of the clinical trial was published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology [8].
“Minimally invasive techniques are becoming increasingly popular in cancer care, and cryoablation represents a valid option for early stage Breast Cancer treatment,” Dr. Rache Simmons, chief of breast surgery at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, told reporters for a recent article in Science Daily [9]. “The results from this trial are extremely promising, and we look forward to exploring the technique for a greater number of patients.”
More Info on Cryoablation
Cryoablation is still an approved complementary modality in the U.S. for many kinds of cancer and other conditions. Sadly, however, certain policies under Obamacare drove the procedure “underground” for Breast Cancer in 2013. The Ice3 Clinical Trial has been studying the effects of cryoablation for early stage Breast Cancer since 2014—and it is still going on. For more information and participation requirements, click HERE [10]. In addition, there are a few clinics outside the U.S., including the Williams Cancer Institute [9] in Mexico, who perform cyroablation for Breast Cancer.
It is frustrating to see that more women do not know about nor have access to cryotherapy for Breast Cancer. But now you know.
Dr. Veronique Desaulniers (“Dr V”) is the founder of Breast Cancer Conqueror.com and The 7 Essentials System ™. This step-by-step guide empowers you with knowledge so you Never Have to Fear Breast Cancer Again! To watch a FREE webinar about the 7 steps for beating breast cancer naturally, Click Here [11].