Cryoablation of Malignancies and Aggressive Benign Diseases in Children: Proceedings from the Society of...

While literature surrounding pediatric applications of cryoablation continues to grow and demonstrate potential benefits, evidence to date largely comprises small, retrospective, and uncontrolled series. To address this opportunity, a multidisciplinary panel of pediatric specialists convened virtually in a research consensus panel organized by the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR); each panelist presented current data surrounding common applications of cryoablation in the pediatric population. A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the potential for cryoablation to increase quality of life in pediatric patients whether applied with curative or palliative intent. After presentations and discussions, research concepts were discussed and ranked on their potential impact, with the following 3 topics emerging as top priorities: (a) thoracic event-free survival and complication comparison between pulmonary metastasectomy and cryoablation of lesions amenable to either modality, (b) a prospective comparison of systemic therapy and cryoablation versus systemic therapy alone in the treatment of desmoid tumor, and (c) the biologic effects of cryoablation on healthy bone, cartilage, and growth plates as may be affected in the treatment of benign osseous lesions.