Ultrasound-guided microwave ablation for multiple benign breast lesions: A prospective study

To provide medical evidence for the feasibility and clinical efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) in the treatment of benign breast lesions, especially multiple benign breast lesions.

We included patients with multiple benign breast lesions who were seen at our hospital during the period from June 2016 to December 2017. After signed informed consent had been obtained and core breast biopsy, all included patients who underwent MWA at 2450 MHz with 30 W power adjustment. Postoperative follow-up was performed for 1 year, at 3-month intervals. Ablation time, complications, volume-reduction ratio (VRR), and lesion residuals after ablation were analyzed.

We ultimately included 1274 lesions from 164 cases in the study with a median follow-up time of 13.6 months. For a single lesion, the median ablation time was 36 s. Pain, fat liquefaction, and skin scalding were the most common complications. The overall complete disappearance rate was 92.1% (1173/1274), with the highest complete disappearance rate observed among those patients with lesions <10 mm in diameter (942/968, 97.3%). For lesions that persisted at 12 months after MWA, the average the volume-reduction ratio (VRR) was 87.5%.

For multiple benign lesions of the breast, especially lesions with the longest diameter <10 mm, ultrasound guided MWA is a minimally invasive, relatively quick therapeutic strategy associated with accuracy in treatment and few complications.