Ablation Therapies Emerging As Gentler Approach To Breast Cancer

15 Jun 2016

Use of ablation technology is emerging as a potentially gentler treatment option for breast cancer, and cryo and thermal ablation in particular are on the verge of regulatory approval that could lead to wider use. A growing number of physicians are already using cryotherapy for breast cancer, but without FDA clearance, reimbursement can be a difficult issue.

Treating cancer has always been a complicated balance of targeting the disease as aggressively as necessary without harming the patient. With breast cancer, the proper treatment can be even more delicate as aggressive treatments have included total or partial removal of the breast as well as radiation treatment. However, a growing number of physicians now see a new trend emerging with ablative therapies that are not only less invasive, but that can also be effective in removing cancerous tumors without the need for surgery.

The topic of ablative treatments was discussed at a recent session of the 17th Annual Meeting of the American Society...