This review examines breast cancer cryoablation — a minimally invasive, image-guided percutaneous technique — as an alternative to surgery in early-stage, low-risk breast cancer, situating it within the broader trend of multidisciplinary treatment de-escalation.
Recent prospective trials support cryoablation's safety and efficacy for select patients; the FDA approved the ProSense Cryoablation System for early-stage low-risk breast cancers in women ≥70 years old, and the American Society of Breast Surgeons has incorporated cryoablation into updated treatment guidelines.
This is a narrative review, not a systematic review or meta-analysis, so it may not capture all available evidence. The FDA approval is limited to women ≥70 years, restricting generalizability to younger patients. Long-term survival and recurrence data from prospective trials are not yet fully mature.
For women ≥70 with early-stage, low-risk breast cancer, cryoablation is now a guideline-supported, FDA-cleared alternative to surgery — clinicians should discuss it as part of shared decision-making around treatment de-escalation. Patient selection criteria and institutional expertise remain key practical considerations for adoption.
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