← Return to Has anyone undergone cryo therapy for grade 1 IDC breast cancer?

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I did and it did not work for me. I ended up doing a double mastectomy. The main problem with cryo IMO is that providers do not check your lymph nodes and can't tell if you have clear margins (important for DCIS). Cancer in the lymph nodes is difficult to detect on imaging alone. If you do cryo without checking your nodes and you happen to have some stray cancer cells there, you may set yourself up for a recurrence, even Stage 4. That said, if you are 70 or older and low risk with a small tumor, you are a good candidate. It is FDA cleared for this population. Your doctor will tell you, you need to do an AI and/or radiation to clean up any cancer in the nodes, etc. I'd recommend Dr. Dennis Holmes, he is also a surgeon and can check your lymph nodes if you want, similar to what's done in a lumpectomy, etc. He has been involved in many clinical trials and has the most experience of any doctors in the US. However, if you are under 70 or have a Grade 3 cancer, I would not recommend it.
Otherwise, the procedure was easy and recovery a breeze, no comparison to a mastectomy!

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Replies to "I did and it did not work for me. I ended up doing a double mastectomy...."

@olderbreastcancer
Sorry to learn of your experience, but appreciate the balance (pros and cons) in your comments. In my experience, cryoablation experts/practitioners are often found in university settings. To name a few: Brown, Emory, Rochester, Michigan, and WashUMedicine/Mallinckrodt. The first USA breast cryoablation (Dr. Peter Littrup) was in 2003, but 23 years later, availability and acceptance are still limited in this country. The picture is improving for various reasons. For advanced tumors, the pairing of cryoablation (which can generate a systematic immune response) with targeted immunotherapy is showing real potential.