An Effective Method in Kidney Cancer: Cryoablation - Freezing Treatment

Cryoablation (destruction by freezing) treatment has been observed to be highly effective in certain groups of kidney cancer patients.

Although not among the most common cancers, kidney cancer has increased in recent years and is important because it resists chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal treatment. Its treatment therefore rests on surgical removal of all or part of the kidney with surrounding tissues and targeted smart drugs . In advanced (4th) stage kidney cancer, smart drugs and immunotherapies are effective. However, these procedures are not always possible because of underlying illnesses, borderline kidney function, having only one kidney, cancer spread outside the kidney, or advanced age. Alternative treatments are therefore being studied. Among them, cryoablation has become particularly prominent in recent years with successful results. In this method, needles are introduced through a small skin puncture to rapidly cool and freeze the tumor, destroying it.

A study analyzing results of investigations measuring cryoablation effectiveness in kidney cancer, a meta-analysis , included patients aged at least 66 with tumors measuring 4 cm or less (stage T1a), totaling 4300 patients. Their 5-year kidney cancer-specific survival rates were similar with cryoablation and partial nephrectomy , surgical removal of part of the kidney (%95 and %98 respectively). Overall 5-year survival was %77 with cryoablation and %86 with partial nephrectomy. Although partial nephrectomy appears to promise longer survival, this difference seems due to selecting patients in better overall condition for surgery.

When the procedures were compared in terms of side effects , cryoablation was advantageous for 30-day nonurological side effects (%6 versus %30). Kidney failure rates were also lower with cryoablation than partial nephrectomy (%3 versus %7).

In conclusion, cryoablation, observed to be highly effective in certain kidney cancer patient groups, deserves much greater clinical use because of its safety profile. However, it is not suitable for every kidney cancer. In tumors up to 4 cm, it is almost %100 effective, but appears insufficiently effective for larger tumors. Carefully selecting suitable patients and performing it in experienced centers is therefore extremely important.