Chelyabinsk Oncology Center Uses Cryoablation for Desmoid Tumors

Doctors from the Department of X-ray Surgical Diagnostic and Treatment Methods at the Chelyabinsk Regional Clinical Center of Oncology and Nuclear Medicine (CHOKTSOYaM) performed the institution«s first extreme freezing of a rare connective tissue pathology. The method of local treatment for desmoid showed high effectiveness.

A desmoid is a rare benign tumor of connective tissue in deep soft tissues. It does not metastasize but is characterized by aggressive growth and causes pain.

Sergey Pashevich, head of the Department of Skin, Bone, and Soft Tissue Tumors at CHOKTSOYaM, explained the choice of method:

Standards for treating desmoid tumors are stipulated in the clinical guidelines of the Russian Ministry of Health, and the method is chosen considering the individual characteristics of the neoplasm, its growth rate, location, and many other factors. Since in this clinical case the desmoid was located in an unfavorable anatomical area, a medical consultation involving colleagues from the federal center recommended using a local ablation technology — cryodestruction.

The essence of cryoablation is the destruction of tumor tissue by extremely low temperatures — down to –180 °C (–292 °F) — using a cryosurgical system. Yakov Gnatyuk, head of the Department of X-ray Surgical Diagnostic and Treatment Methods, described the procedure:

Cooling of tissues is done with argon, fed into a cryoprobe under high pressure. An important advantage of cryoablation is the almost complete painlessness of the intervention, allowing hour-long operations under only local anesthesia. The formation of an «ice ball» occurs under constant ultrasound guidance, which allows precise visualization of the extent of tumor destruction and eliminates the risk of damage to adjacent vital organs and structures.

In one of the first patients, a desmoid the size of a tennis ball was located under the shoulder joint. After cryoablation, the pain disappeared, and a repeated freezing led to stabilization: the neoplasm became inactive, and now only dynamic monitoring is required.

Andrey Lukin, chief physician of the center, noted that the new technology expands options for helping cancer patients:

The technology expands the institution«s capabilities in providing care to cancer patients whose tumor cannot be excised or who have contraindications to surgical treatment. In modern oncology, the method is used to treat malignant neoplasms of the prostate, liver, kidneys, lungs, soft tissues, bones, skin, breast, and female reproductive organs, and its introduction into the routine practice of our doctors will significantly improve the quality and accessibility of medical care for residents of the Chelyabinsk region.