ArticlePloS one2026
Cryoablation for fibroadenoma with liquid nitrogen based system: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFibroadenoma is the most common benign breast lesion found on core needle biopsies. Surgical excision is the standard of care for these lesions. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of liquid nitrogen-based cryoablation in treating multiple fibroadenomas, including large lesions.
methodsA liquid nitrogen-based cryoablation system was used to treat histologically confirmed benign fibroadenomas under ultrasound guidance at Premier Med Healthcare, Training, and Research Institute between 2017 and 2022. The number and times of freeze-thaw-freeze treatment cycles and the number of cryoprobe relocations were determined according to the location and size of the fibroadenomas. Sequential cryoprobe relocation was performed in case of large or multiple fibroadenomas treated in one session. Patients underwent ultrasound examination follow-up visits for up to 12 months post-cryoablation. Data were analyzed descriptively. Changes in lesion size were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
results78 women with a mean age of 34.2 ± 9.8 were included. The number of lesions per patient ranged from 1 to 4, with 60% having one lesion, 25% two, 13% three, and 3% four. Lesions were evenly distributed between the left (48.4%) and right (51.6%) breasts, with the upper outer quadrant being the most common location (28%). Lesion size, diameter of the largest dimension, ranged from 7 to 80 mm (mean 25 ± 10.9). The mean procedure time was 13 ± 10.4 minutes with 1-5 relocations per cryoprobe. In 76% of cases, a single freeze-thaw-freeze cycle was sufficient. Multiple cryoprobe relocations were used for larger or multiple lesions to ensure full coverage. The median volume reduction was 80.6% (IQR: 56.6-92.6) at 6 ± 1.5 months and 92.9% (IQR: 73.6-100) at 12 ± 1.5 months. The reduction observed at 12 months (mean follow-up of 16.3 ± 10 months) was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). One minor adverse event occurred (1/123 = 0.81% [95%CI: 0.02%-4.45%]) that resolved with conservative treatment.
conclusionCryoablation with a liquid nitrogen-based system proved safe and effective, with 92.9% volume reduction at one year post-cryoablation for fibroadenoma. Sequential cryoprobe relocations preserve safety and efficacy, allowing the flexibility necessary for complete ablation of large or multifocal lesions. With the inclusion of a large patient cohort, our study further reinforces the clinical value of cryoablation and brings the technique one step closer to integration into routine practice.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.