Lung Ablation Outcomes for Inoperable Stage IA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Oncology
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer death.
• Medically inoperable patients with early-stage NSCLC have limited treatment options.
• Percutaneous ablation techniques are emerging as alternatives to surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy and safety of percutaneous cryoablation for Stage 1a NSCLC.
• To evaluate local control and survival outcomes in medically inoperable patients.
• To identify predictors of treatment failure.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 176 patients with biopsy-proven Stage 1a NSCLC.
• Patients underwent percutaneous cryoablation under CT guidance.
• Standardized triple freeze-thaw protocol used, with follow-up via CT and PET imaging.

Main Results:

• 1- and 3-year local progression-free survival rates were 91.8% and 89.4%.
• Overall survival rates were 100% at 1 year and 94.7% at 3 years.
• Pneumothorax was the most common adverse event (17.6%); no in-hospital deaths reported.

Conclusions:

• Percutaneous cryoablation is effective for local control in medically inoperable Stage 1a NSCLC.
• The procedure has a favorable safety profile, especially for tumors <2.0 cm.
• Cryoablation warrants further investigation as a primary treatment for this patient group.