Cryoablation as a treatment option for medically inoperable NSCLC: Presentation of 2 cases

In recent years, significant efforts have been made worldwide to implement lung cancer screening programs. As a result, an increasing number of patients are being diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, where treatment options offer higher survival rates. However, approximately 25% of these patients cannot undergo surgery due to poor respiratory function because of their primary lung disease. Image-Guided thermal ablation (IGTA) techniques are recommended by the international guidelines as an option for the medically inoperable stage IA. However, due to the need for specialized centers for their application, this technique has not yet been widely adopted. The aim of this presentation is to highlight the promising results of cryoablation as a thermal ablation technique for patients with stage IA lung cancer and severely compromised lung function. This will be illustrated by 2 cases of medically inoperable early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) where this treatment option was successfully employed. The procedure was well tolerated and both patients were discharged from the hospital 2 days after the procedure. The follow-up included a computed tomography (CT) scan in 1, 3, 6, and 12 months and a positron emission tomography (PET) scan in 6 and 12 months. Both patients had no local recurrence of the disease for at least 1 year afterwards. These cases highlight that cryoablation, a widely approved and guideline-endorsed technique, can be safely and effectively applied in patients with significantly impaired lung function or multiple comorbidities, offering a valuable alternative when surgery is not feasible.