Cryoablation Provides Surgery-Free Cancer Treatment for Elderly Delhi Patient
In a remarkable medical case from New Delhi, what started as a routine health examination led to the discovery of a cancerous lump in a 77-year-old woman. The tumor, measuring approximately 15mm, was situated dangerously close to her heart, making traditional surgical intervention a high-risk proposition due to her advanced age.
High-Risk Surgery Leads to Alternative Treatment Exploration
Cardiologists strongly advised against proceeding with conventional surgery, and the patient's family shared these concerns about the potential complications. Faced with this challenging situation, medical professionals at a private hospital proposed an innovative solution: cryoablation. This minimally invasive technique treats cancer by freezing malignant cells rather than removing them through surgical means.
The elderly patient underwent this procedure successfully and remarkably was discharged just two hours after treatment—without any surgical incisions, stitches, or the typical recovery period associated with cancer operations.
Cryoablation: An Emerging Option in Indian Healthcare
While cryoablation has been utilized internationally for several years to address tumors in organs like the liver, kidney, and prostate, its application for breast cancer remains relatively limited and selective. In India, only a handful of medical centers have begun offering this procedure in recent years, positioning it as an emerging alternative rather than a standard replacement for surgery.
Medical experts emphasize that cryoablation is currently being considered for carefully selected patients with early-stage breast cancer who either are medically unsuitable for surgery or consciously choose to avoid it. Although surgery continues to be the standard first-line treatment for breast cancer, this freezing technique may be employed in specific cases following comprehensive evaluation and thorough patient counseling.
How Cryoablation Works: The Technical Process
At Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, where doctors have begun implementing cryoablation in selected cases, Dr. Ramesh Sareen, senior consultant and lead breast surgical oncologist, explained the procedure's mechanics. The treatment is performed under local anesthesia, beginning with ultrasound imaging to precisely locate the tumor.
Medical professionals then administer a small injection and create a tiny incision—so minimal that no stitches are necessary. A slender probe called a cryoprobe is inserted directly into the tumor, where controlled freeze-thaw cycles are applied to systematically destroy cancer cells.
The entire process typically requires about thirty minutes, though duration varies depending on tumor dimensions. Following treatment, the body gradually absorbs the treated tissue naturally.
Patient Benefits and Clinical Considerations
Dr. Sareen noted that in appropriately selected cases, tumors measuring up to 3-3.5 centimeters can be effectively ablated using this technique. Patients subsequently undergo monitoring for six months to one year to assess treatment response and long-term outcomes.
Since cryoablation involves no surgical incision or general anesthesia, patients generally avoid hospital stays altogether. This approach facilitates:
- Faster recovery timelines
- Reduced postoperative pain
- Minimal scarring
- Superior cosmetic results
These advantages prove particularly valuable for elderly patients or individuals with coexisting medical conditions that complicate traditional surgical approaches.
Selective Application and Future Potential
Doctors involved in these procedures, including Dr. Sareen, Dr. Shelly Sharma, and Dr. Parag Sharma, stress that cryoablation remains suitable only for a specific subset of early-stage patients with localized disease. They emphasize the importance of careful patient selection and comprehensive evaluation before recommending this approach.
Given that breast cancer represents the most prevalent cancer among women in India, and with early detection methods continually improving, medical professionals believe such minimally invasive techniques could assume an increasingly significant role in patient-centered cancer care. As awareness grows and technology advances, cryoablation may offer hope to more patients seeking alternatives to conventional surgical interventions.
