Cryoablation effectively freezes the tissue of benign breast tumors, eliminating painful scarring within breast tissue that can make subsequent examination for potentially cancerous tumors difficult, according to surgeons who have used the technique at Michigan State University in the United States.

"There are many advantages to this," said Carol Slomski, M.D., a breast cancer surgeon and chairperson of the University Department of Surgery. "It can be done right in the office, it leaves a much smaller scar, and it is less expensive."

Before cryoablation techniques were developed and tested, women diagnosed with benign breast tumors had two options: do nothing or undergo a lumpectomy. "A lumpectomy certainly has its own set of issues, not the least of which is putting a woman under anesthesia," Slomski said.

With cryoablation, a small incision is made and a probe is inserted into the center of the tumor with use of ultrasound guidance. Argon gas is then used to freeze the tissue. "It's generally a very comfortable and kind of boring procedure," Slomski explained, "in that the woman has to lie there for 30 or 40 minutes with the probe in place."

The cryoablation procedure is most effective against fibroadenomas. "This type of lump is like a marble, very smooth, symmetric, and rounded," Slomski said. "That lends itself very easily to this procedure because the energy from the probe can reach all parts of it, as opposed to tumors that are uneven."

She added, "Cancer tumors tend to be more irregular. Maybe in the future there will be some way of adjusting this energy level to get more irregular tumors." Cryoablation is being tested on some malignant tumors, including those of the liver and prostate.

In late 2002, the American Journal of Surgery reported that doctors at 8 U.S. medical centers used the cryoablation technique on 50 patients. In each case, the article noted, the tumors had either shrunk or disappeared within a year.

Approximately 80 percent of all breast tumors are benign. Most of the women who develop these growths tend to be in their late teens or early twenties. To qualify for the procedure, a woman must have the tumor biopsied to confirm that it is benign. In addition, the tumor must be no larger than 2 centimeters in size.