Cryotechnology is currently used for both treatment and diagnosis of
breast disease. Due to the natural
analgesic effect of cold,
cryoablation is potentially more patient-friendly than other technologies which raise tissue temperature. Freezing produces a predictable volume of
necrosis and is easily observed and controlled during treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated that, as a primary
therapy for breast
fibroadenoma,
cryoablation is safe and effective with durable results that can be reproduced in community practices. Certain barriers do exist before
cryoablation, or any other in situ ablation, can become a standard
therapy for the treatment of localized breast
malignancy. Investigations are underway to refine patient selection criteria and develop valid confirmatory assays so that clinical trials can begin. Cryolocalization, which creates a well-delineated, palpable mass of frozen tissue encompassing a
tumor, is a relatively new application of cold in medicine. This strategy promises to reduce positive margin rates during
lumpectomy of non- or barely-palpable
tumors. Finally, cryotechnology now also
aids in the collection of tissue for histological analysis.