Cryoablation for T1N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer using liquid nitrogen

Large apical lung cancer treated with CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation

Percutaneous lung ablation is increasingly used in the treatment of lung malignancies with good outcomes, but recurrence is commonly reported in ablation of lesions size larger than 3 cm. We report a 50-year-old female with a 9 cm nonsmall cell lung cancer involving the right upper lobe and apical chest wall causing severe neuropathic shoulder pain and significantly disturbing her daily activities. CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation was performed using a 4-phase protocol with complete eradication of the tumor. Follow-up imaging showed no evidence of recurrence 6 months after the procedure. The neuropathic pain was significantly improved after the procedure, and she was pain-free until her death due to metastatic disease elsewhere. To our knowledge, this is the first case of successful cryoablation for an exceptionally large lesion.

Single-Probe Percutaneous Cryoablation with Liquid Nitrogen for the Treatment of T1a Renal Tumors

Kidney cancer accounts for 3% of adult malignancies and is increasingly detected through advanced imaging techniques, highlighting the need for effective treatment strategies. This retrospective study assessed the safety and efficacy of a new single-probe percutaneous cryoablation system using liquid nitrogen for treating T1a renal cancers. From May 2019 to May 2022, 25 consecutive patients from two academic hospitals, with a median age of 64.8 years [IQR 59; 75.5], underwent cryoablation for 26 T1a renal tumors. These tumors had a median size of 25.3 mm [20; 30.7] and a median RENAL nephrometry score, indicating tumor complexity, of 7 [5; 9]. No major complications arose, but three non-clinically relevant perirenal hematomas were detected on post-procedure CT scans. With a median follow-up of 795 days [573; 1020], the primary local control rate at one month stood was 80.8% (21 out of 26). The five recurrent lesions, which exhibited a higher renal score (p = 0.016), were treated again using cryoablation, achieving a secondary local control rate of 100%. No patient died, and the disease-free survival rate was 92% (23 out of 25). In conclusion, single-probe percutaneous cryoablation emerges as a promising modality for managing small renal masses. Notably, recurrence rates appear influenced by RENAL nephrometry scores, suggesting a need for further research to refine the technique.

Percutaneous image-guided thermal ablation of lung cancer: What is the evidence?

Thermal ablation techniques have now been used for more than twenty years in the treatment of primary lung tumours, predominantly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although primarily used for the treatment of early-stage disease in non-surgical patients, thermal ablation is now also being used in selected patients with oligometastatic and oligoprogressive disease. This review discusses the techniques available for thermal ablation, the evidence for use of thermal ablation in primary lung tumours in early- and advanced-stage disease and compares thermal ablation to alternative treatment strategies.

Multiple primary lung cancer: Updates of clinical management and genomic features

In recent decades, multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC) has been increasingly prevalent in clinical practice. However, many details about MPLC have not been completely settled, such as understanding the driving force, clinical management, pathological mechanisms, and genomic architectures of this disease. From the perspective of diagnosis and treatment, distinguishing MPLC from lung cancer intrapulmonary metastasis (IPM) has been a clinical hotpot for years. Besides, compared to patients with single lung lesion, the treatment for MPLC patients is more individualized, and non-operative therapies, such as ablation and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), are prevailing. The emergence of next-generation sequencing has fueled a wave of research about the molecular features of MPLC and advanced the NCCN guidelines. In this review, we generalized the latest updates on MPLC from definition, etiology and epidemiology, clinical management, and genomic updates. We summarized the different perspectives and aimed to offer novel insights into the management of MPLC.

Image-guided percutaneous ablation for lung malignancies

Image-guided percutaneous lung ablation has proven to be an alternative and effective strategy in the treatment of lung cancer and other lung malignancies. Radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation are widely used ablation modalities in clinical practice that can be performed along or combined with other treatment modalities. In this context, this article will review the application of different ablation strategies in lung malignancies.

Feasibility and Safety of Single-Probe Cryoablation with Liquid Nitrogen: An Initial Experience in 24 Various Tumor Lesions

Simple Summary

Percutaneous cryoablation was developed to minimally perform multi-organ tumor ablations. The most widely known cryotherapy systems use argon gas (high-pressure) and multiple needles to achieve sufficient ablations. The aim of our retrospective study was to assess the feasibility of a new cryotherapy system using single-probe liquid nitrogen for tumor lesions of various sizes and locations, and to evaluate the safety of cryoablation with this technique. Correlations between ice ball sizes and ablation zone sizes with two needle sizes (10G or 13G) and with the freezing duration were evaluated, as well as the sphericity of the ice ball and ablation zones. We showed that this technique is safe in all organs tested. We showed a correlation between the freezing duration and the ice ball size, but not with the ablation zone, which is useful for planning the procedure and treatment conducted by the oncology team.

Abstract

Background: Percutaneous cryoablation with liquid nitrogen is a new technique being used in the treatment of some malignant tumors. Our objective was to assess its feasibility in the ablation of tumor lesions of various sizes and locations. Methods: This retrospective, monocentric study included all consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous cryoablation with liquid nitrogen between December 2019 and March 2021. Cryoablation was performed using 10G or 13G cryoprobes. The ablation volume was measured on post-treatment CT or MRI. Results: 22 patients (24 lesions) were included, 16 of whom were men (73%), while median age was 66 years. The lesions were located in the bone (42%), kidney (29%), soft tissue (17%), lung (8%), or liver (4%). It was feasible in all tumor locations and produced median ablation zones 25 mm in width and 35 mm in length, with a 23 min median freezing time. Freezing duration was correlated with the ice volume (p Spearman = 0.02), but not with the ablation volume (p = 0.11). The average difference between the ablation zone and ice ball sizes were −6.4 mm in width and −7.7 mm in length. Both ice and ablation volumes were larger when using the 10G probe as compared to when the 13G was used. No complications were reported. Discussion: We showed that this technique was safe and feasible in all organs tested. The freezing duration was correlated with the ice ball size, but not with the ablation zone.

Cryoablation and immune synergistic effect for lung cancer: A review

The preferred treatment for lung cancer is surgical resection, but a large number of patients are not suitable for surgical resection in clinic. CT-guided cryoablation and immunotherapy can play an important role in patients with advanced lung cancer who are ineligible for surgery. CT-guided cryoablation has been widely used in the clinical treatment of lung tumors due to its advantages of less trauma, fewer complications, significant efficacy and rapid recovery. Cryoablation can not only cause tumor necrosis and apoptosis, but also promote the release of tumor-derived autoantigens into the blood circulation, and stimulate the host immune system to produce a good anti-tumor immune effect against primary and metastatic tumors. Since the study of immune checkpoint inhibitors has proved that lung cancer can be an immunotherapeutic response disease, the relationship between cryoablation and immunotherapy of lung cancer has been paid more attention. Therefore, we reviewed the literature on cryoablation for lung cancer, as well as the research progress of cryoablation combined with immunotherapy.

Laparoscopic ultrasonography-guided cryoablation of locally advanced pancreatic cancer: a preliminary report

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate safety and feasibility of laparoscopic ultrasonography (LUS)-guided cryoablation of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From April 2018 to December 2018, ten patients (five women, five men; mean age 58.2 ± 9.4 years) with LAPC underwent the operation. LUS was used to guide the cryoablation. Computed tomography (CT) imaging, biochemical analysis and pain score analysis by numeric rating scale (NRS) were used to assess treatment outcomes at 1 week and 3 months after the operation.

RESULTS

Cryoablation was performed by the operation in all cases. Seven patients received complete ablation and the success rate of operation was 70%. Two cryoablation cycles and an average of 1.4 ± 0.5 cryoprobes were used. The average freezing time and operation time were 23.8 ± 1.0 and 110.5 ± 24.7 min, respectively. The mean blood loss was 52.0 ± 16.6 ml. No major complications were observed after the operation. The mean maximum tumor diameter determined by CT decreased from 4.9 ± 0.7 cm before the operation to 4.7 ± 1.0 cm at 1 week and 4.6 ± 1.3 cm at 3 months, with P values of 0.53 and 0.51 (relative to the preoperative values), respectively. Postoperative CT imaging results suggested tumor necrosis in cryoablation-treated areas. The mean CA19-9 levels decreased from 347.5 ± 345.7 U/mL before operation to 190.4 ± 153.8 U/mL at 1 week and 182.7 ± 165.6 U/mL at 3 months, with P values of 0.15 and 0.14 (relative to the preoperative values), respectively. The average pain scores declined from 6.9 ± 1.1 before operation to 1.3 ± 1.2 at 1 week and 2.0 ± 0.8 at 3 months, with both P values of < 0.01 (relative to the preoperative values).

CONCLUSION

This preliminary study suggested that LUS-assisted cryoablation was a safe and feasible treatment for LAPC.