www.sportsandmskedicine.com As many readers know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. Following extensive research, I chose to do cryoablation (cry-o-a-blay-shun), a minimally invasive procedure which freezes the tumor and was in clinical trials at City of Hope at the time. The therapy was successful for me and others, but with COVID, many facilities stopped offering the procedure. However, trials continued with Dennis Holmes, MD as a primary source of information and a lead advocate for women’s breast health. As Dr. Holmes describes, cryoablation uses a small, needle-like cryoprobe and extremely cold temperatures to destroy cancer cells along with a margin of surrounding normal breast tissue—similar to the goals of a lumpectomy. Unlike traditional early stage 1 breast cancer treatment such as a lumpectomy, the 45-minute in-office procedure is performed under local anesthesia offering a faster recovery that enables patients to quickly resume daily activities. According to Holmes, studies on patient-reported outcomes have shown that cryoablation provides a greater sense of physical well-being, improved sexual well-being, and higher breast satisfaction compared to lumpectomy. Many of us feel very strongly that cryoablation should become an acceptable standard of care for early stage breast cancers. Recently, Holmes shared an update on the current clinical trials which I am delighted to share as reported. The ICE3 Trial. In September 2024, the 5-year follow-up results of the ICE3 Trial were published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology. The study demonstrated cryoablation to be as safe and effective as lumpectomy for many women with earlystage breast cancer. The ICE3 Trial was a multicenter, single-arm, non-randomized clinical study designed to evaluate cryoablation as an alternative to lumpectomy. It enrolled 194 women, aged 55 to 94 years (mean age 75), with clinical stage I invasive ductal carcinoma measuring ≤1.5 cm by mammography and ultrasound. Eligible tumors were histologic grade 1 or 2, estrogen receptor (ER) positive, progesterone receptor (PR) positive, and HER2/neu negative, as confirmed by needle biopsy. The trial did not mandate the use of anti-estrogen or radiation therapy, or sentinel node biopsy. However, nearly 80% of participants received anti-estrogen therapy, 14% received radiation therapy and only 8% had sentinel node biopsies. After 5 years of follow-up, there were 7 cases of cancer recurrence in the same breast, resulting in a local recurrence rate of 4.7%. Among the 124 participants who received antiestrogen therapy, the local recurrence rate was even lower at 3.7%. These low recurrence rates in ICE3 closely mirror results from other clinical trials that did not use cryoablation, but evaluated traditional care lumpectomy plus antiestrogen therapy without radiation. Recurrent breast cancer rates from LUMINA (2.3%), IDEA (3.5%) and PRIME II (4.1%) trials are similar to ICE3, which support cryoablation as a safe and effective alternative to lumpectomy for women meeting the criteria. The FROST Trial. The Freezing Instead of Removal Of Small Breast Tumors (FROST) Trial is a multicenter, non-randomized clinical trial designed and led by Holmes. Beginning in 2016, the trial enrolled 82 women with clinical stage I invasive ductal carcinoma (tumor extended outside of milk ducts) measuring ≤2.0 cm, as determined by mammography, ultrasound and/or contrast-enhanced MRI. All tumors were ER March/April 2025 www.DesertHealthNews.com Integrative Medicine The Valley's Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 15 www.sportsandmskmedicine.com Offering minimally invasive treatments and a wholistic approach to achieve the best long-term outcomes Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) • Hyaluronate Injections Stem Cell Therapy • Traditional Prolotherapy • Shockwave Red Laser Therapy • Biomechanical Analysis/Treatment Manual Therapy • Nutritional Optimization THE FUTURE IS HERE! PROUDLY INTRODUCING The rst multidisciplinary approach to regenerative medicine using biomechanics and nutrition to optimize results Eric Sickinger, DO Board-certi ed Sports Medicine Physician Brandon Rosi, DPT Doctor of Physical Therapy Leah Papazian, RD, LD Registered Dietitian/ Licensed Dietitian 760.636.1067 41990 Cook St. • Building F, Ste. 1006 Palm Desert, CA 92211 www.SportsandMSKmedicine.com @SportsandMSKmedicine @SportsandMSK_Medicine GRAND OPENING Come celebrate with us! March 4 • 11am-1pm Raf es, refreshments and more Bachir Younes, MD, MPH 760.636.1336 Roula Younes, DNP Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is recommended for treating a variety of medical conditions including expediting wound healing. Desert Hyperbaric Medicine is a part of Younes Medical offering comprehensive care for patients. The company encompasses aninfectious disease clinic, a state-of-the-art wound care center and the largest independent IV fusion therapy facility in the valley—Desert Infusion Center. Immerse yourself in healing 760.773.3899 Update on Cryoablation for Breast Cancer By Lauren Del Sarto Continued on page 16
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