Breast cancer awareness month: Cryosurgery effectively treats early-stage breast cancer

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), breast cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer type, with 2.5 million new cases, after lung cancer, and the leading cause of cancer death among women ^[1].

Thanks to advances in early detection, timely diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care, the 5-year survival rates for breast have significantly improved over the past two decades, now exceeding 70% in lower-middle income countries and 80%–90% in high-income countries ^[2].

 

In most cases, surgery remains the most common treatment option, used to remove localised tumours. Improvements in early detection through mammography screening programmes have increased the proportion of breast cancers diagnosed at an early, localised stage, where survival outcomes are generally very favourable ^{[3, 4]}. In this context, minimally invasive ablative interventions, such as cryoablation, have emerged as potential alternatives for early-stage breast cancer.

 

Success rates for cryoablation in breast cancer

 

Cryoablation destroys tumour tissue by exposing it to repeated cycles of rapid freezing and controlled thawing, generating a predictable zone of necrosis (i.e. death of tumour cells) ^[3]. The procedure offers several practical advantages, including outpatient treatment under local anaesthesia, rapid recovery, minimal scarring, and favourable cosmetic outcomes, while preserving the option of subsequent surgery if required.

According to a recent review article published in Cancers, the available evidence suggests that cryoablation successfully eliminated tumours in 88% to 95% of cases of early-stage breast cancer. In a clinical study conducted in Brazil, the FreezIng bReaST cancer in Brazil (FIRST), cryoablation successfully destroyed tumours in nearly all cases (97,8%). A 100% success rate was achieved in tumours measuring ≤ 2.0 cm on MRI scans.

 

Recommendations for policymakers for equitable access to surgical procedures

 

Cryoabalation for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer is currently widely available in high-income regions such as Europe, US and Japan ^[4].

Considering that surgery is an essential part of cancer treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) encourages the development of national surgical, obstetric and anaesthesia plans (NSOAPs) to formalise health policy for surgical care globally, especially in low to middle income countries ^[2].

With over 40 countries currently in the process of developing their national plans, and with over 4,000 facilities in over 100 countries implementing the WHO Safe surgery checklist ^[2], the intended outcome is to improve survival rates associated with surgical capabilities.

It is also essential to improve capacity building in surgical procedures, to ensure that the transition towards more technologically advanced procedures (such as cryosurgery) does not further exacerbate inequalities in access to trained surgical workforce.

 

 

Sources

[1] IARC. 1 October 2026. IARC marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2026. https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/iarc-marks-breast-cancer-awareness-month-2026/

[2] WHO, 2026. Global status report on cancer 2026: the future we choose together. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240123977

[3] Tsoti, S. M., Kalles, V., Nikitaras, A., Papapanagiotou, I., & Michalopoulos, N. (2026). Cryoablation in Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Efficacy, Safety and Oncologic Outcomes. Cancers, 18(11), 1842. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18111842

[4] Takahashi, M., Kinoshita, T., & Fukuma, E. (2026). Thermal ablation as a minimally invasive alternative to surgery for primary breast cancer: a review. International Journal of Surgery, 112(10), 14450–14458. https://doi.org/10.1097/JS9.0000000000005366

[5] Sanvido, V.M., Bromberg, S.E., Waitzberg, A.F.L. et al. Cryoablation for early-stage invasive breast cancer: pathologic and imaging outcomes from the prospective FIRST trial. Breast Cancer Res 28, 128 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-026-02302-y