Alex Trelinski
AN ALICANTE hospital has carried out a pioneering procedure that destroys breast cancer cells via freezing.
It was successfully performed on a 90-year-old woman at the city’s Doctor Balmis Hospital.
The technique used by the radiology department is known as cryoablation.
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The procedure is guided by ultrasound equipment which is usually safer and less invasive than surgery to cut out diseased tissue.
The Ministry of Health said it is an ‘innovative formula that is transforming’ the treatment of this disease while ‘improving the quality of life for patients’.
Medics at the Doctor Balmis Breast Unit said they achieved good results the first time they carried out the procedure to counter breast cancer.
The hospital’s radiology department has ‘extensive experience’ in cryoablation for the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumours, but the Health Ministry said it was the first time had been used to treat breast cancer.
Specialist Dr. Maria Isabel Moya said: “It is an ultrasound-guided technique that involves inserting a very fine needle through a small incision in the skin, which has a system that reaches extremely cold temperatures, below -40C, achieving the freezing of the tumour, as well as the destruction of tumour cells.”
The procedure takes less than an hour, during which time a needle is kept in the target area and several successive cycles of freezing and thawing are carried out.
In addition, it is a simple, safe and painless process performed under local anaesthesia, on an outpatient basis.
It cuts the chance of post-surgical problems such as seromas, infections, hematomas or chronic pain leading to a faster recovery time.
“It is also worth noting that the cold, in parallel with other therapies, creates an extra therapeutic effect, since specific antigens are released that attack tumour cells- an immunological response that is being studied,” said Dr. Moya.
Traditional surgery is the main treatment for most patients with breast cancer, but Moya says its great news that there’s a choice for some people.
“Cryoablation is an effective, safe and less aggressive alternative, which offers important benefits compared to surgical treatment in a selected number of patients, such as women with low-risk and small tumours, who cannot have an operation for different reasons, such as advanced age or multiple illnesses,” she commented.
