Cryo-surgery for symptomatic extra-abdominal desmoids. A proof of concept study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Innovation
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Extra-abdominal desmoid tumors are rare, aggressive soft tissue neoplasms.
• Current treatments have high recurrence and comorbidity rates.
• Cryosurgery is explored as an alternative treatment modality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy and safety of cryosurgery for extra-abdominal desmoid tumors.
• To evaluate a novel three-phase cryosurgery protocol.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, single-center study of 11 patients with symptomatic tumors.
• Individualized cryosurgery with 3D model preoperative planning, cone beam-guided intraoperative navigation, and MRI-based postoperative analysis.
• Patient-reported outcomes assessed using the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

Main Results:

• 82% of patients (9/11) experienced symptom improvement and tumor volume reduction.
• Average tumor volume and viable tumor segment reduction were 36.7% and 63.3%, respectively.
• Mild complications occurred in 19% of ablations; significant improvement in mental health scores was noted.

Conclusions:

• The described three-phase cryosurgery protocol shows potential for improving outcomes in treating extra-abdominal desmoid tumors.
• This approach may offer a viable alternative to conventional treatments with high recurrence rates.