Today, small kidney tumours are most often treated with a minor operation in which all or part of the kidney is removed. However, in many cases these small tumours can be treated with targeted cryotherapy, which destroys the cancer cells.
Quite literally, it’s a needle-prick procedure when patients, instead of undergoing the classic keyhole operation, have their small kidney tumours frozen away using so-called cryoablation. Thin needles are inserted through the skin into the kidney and precisely target the cancer cells, which are then frozen until they are destroyed. The treatment has proven both effective and gentle, explains Associate Professor Iben Lyskjær from the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University:
“The procedure is generally less invasive than surgery and has less impact on kidney function. At the same time, the length of hospital stay is typically short, meaning that many patients can be discharged the same day. There are therefore many advantages to using cryoablation in selected patients,” she says.
Iben Lyskjær’s team has just published a nationwide study on cryoablation of small (T1a) kidney tumours in the scientific journal Radiology . According to the study, one of the advantages is that the freezing of the cells can be repeated several times, precisely because doctors do not remove part or all of the kidney during the procedure, says Iben Lyskjær.
When patients are diagnosed with cancer, there are often several main priorities. One is the treatment of the cancer itself; another is ensuring that it does not spread further. For this reason, surgeons often remove all or part of the kidney when operating to remove the cancer cells. However, according to Iben Lyskjær, patients need not fear that freezing the cells carries a greater risk of the cancer spreading to other organs in the body.
“The treatment is effective and safe. There is no greater risk of spread than with surgery,” she explains.
It may, however, be the case that some patients need to have the cells frozen more than once.
“There is a small risk that the treatment will need to be repeated at a later stage. That is why it is important that patients are followed up afterwards. For many patients, this represents a good balance between gentle treatment and cancer control.”
Not all kidney tumours can be treated by freezing. If the tumour has grown too large (more than 4 cm), doctors will still recommend surgery. Likewise, some tumours may be located in a position that is difficult to access with needles. Therefore, cryoablation is not a replacement for surgery, says Iben Lyskjær.
“We hope that the study can give patients and doctors greater confidence in choosing a less invasive treatment when appropriate. The aim is not to replace surgery, but to ensure that patients receive the treatment best suited to their disease and overall health,” she says.
In addition, the research group behind the study hopes that the results will contribute to the analyses and discussions forming the basis of both Danish and international guidelines for the treatment of kidney cancer.
Associate Professor Iben Lyskjær
Department of Clinical Medicine, Health, Aarhus University
Mail: iben.lyskjar @ clin.au . dk
Phone:+45 51330153
Radiology
Observational study
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The researcher's have reported no conflicts of interest