Liquid nitrogen-based cryoablation: complication rates for lung, bone, and soft tissue tumors cryoablation

Area of Science:

• Interventional Radiology
• Oncology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Cryoablation is an emerging technique for tumor ablation.
• Assessing complication rates is crucial for patient safety and treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the complication rate during and 24 hours after cryoablation for lung, bone, and soft tissue tumors.
• To assess the safety profile of liquid nitrogen-based cryoablation in these specific tumor locations.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 85 consecutive patients undergoing cryoablation for various lesions (excluding liver and renal).
• Liquid nitrogen-based cryoablation system used between April 2017 and October 2022.
• Complications classified using the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) classification system.

Main Results:

• A total of 96 lesions were treated: 36.4% bone, 18.8% lung, 44.8% soft tissue.
• Primary technical success rate was 97.7%.
• Overall complication rates: Grade 1 (20.8%), Grade 2 (5.2%). Most frequent were pleural effusions (18.7%). Lung procedures had the highest complication rate (72.2%), including two cases of symptomatic hydropneumothorax requiring drainage.

Conclusions:

• Liquid nitrogen-based cryoablation is a safe procedure for lung, bone, and soft tissue tumors.
• Complications are generally minor and comparable in frequency and severity to other cryoablation systems, even with larger cryoprobes.