Percutaneous Cryoablation of Recurrent or Oligometastatic Tumors in Thoracoabdominal Soft Tissues: Safety, Effectiveness, and Technical Aspects

Assess cryoablation efficacy and safety for the treatment of recurrent or oligometastatic solid tumors located in the thoracoabdominal soft tissues.Twenty-two percutaneous cryoablation procedures performed in 19 patients to treat recurrent or oligometastatic tumors in thoracoabdominal soft tissue were retrospectively examined. All the procedures were performed between January 2015 and June 2021 under US- and CT- guidance, and the most complex cases with CT-based navigation systems. The histology of the primary tumors included colorectal adenocarcinoma, squamous cell lung carcinoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Adverse events, technical success, and local tumor control were analyzed.The mean age of the patients was 66.5 years, with a mean tumoral lesion size of 24.8 mm. The mean time of the procedures was 68 minutes, with a mean number of 2.5 cryoprobes used. Hydro-dissection was performed in 63% of the procedures to protect the surrounding anatomical structures. The mean size of the ice ball, measured on axial CT scan images at the end of the procedures, was 43.5 mm. No significant adverse events were observed. Technical success was achieved in all cases. Three patients experienced local tumor progression (two residual and one recurrence), successfully treated with a second cryoablation procedure.Although further data collection is required, our experience suggests that percutaneous cryoablation is a safe and effective therapy in selected cases of recurrent or oligometastatic tumors in the thoracoabdominal soft tissues.