Quick answer
Breast cryotherapy uses cold to treat certain benign fibroadenomas and, in selected situations, small breast cancers. Performed as a day case, it leaves an almost invisible scar compared with conventional surgery.
📖 Treating a breast tumour without operating?
Cryotherapy (or cryoablation) is an interventional radiology technique that destroys a lesion by freezing it, using a thin probe inserted through the skin under local anaesthesia, with no surgical opening. Long used on the liver, kidney or lung, it also applies to the breast, in two quite distinct situations: fibroadenoma, a common benign tumour in young women, and, in very selected situations, certain small breast cancers.
In both cases, the procedure is similar to a breast biopsy: a single 1 to 2 mm puncture, under ultrasound guidance, and you go home the same day.
🌷 Cryotherapy of breast fibroadenoma
Fibroadenoma is the most common benign breast tumour, particularly in women under 35. When it is large, palpable or a source of worry, treatment can be offered without resorting to conventional surgery.
The reduction in volume after cryotherapy is gradual: the final results are seen between 6 and 12 months. In the largest published series, volume reduction at one year exceeds 85%, and the great majority of treated fibroadenomas become non-palpable. Patient satisfaction reported in these studies is high, with no visible loss of breast volume.
🎗️ Cryotherapy of breast cancer: an option for very selected cases
For breast cancer, cryotherapy does not replace surgery in most situations. It is reserved for specific cases, systematically discussed at a multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT): a single, small tumour (generally smaller than 1.5-2 cm), with a favourable biological profile (hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative, low grade), clearly visible on ultrasound to ensure precise guidance.
This profile typically corresponds to patients for whom surgery, even conservative surgery, has a less favourable benefit-risk balance, notably older women or those with comorbidities. Published data on this type of profile report 5-year local recurrence rates comparable to those expected after conservative surgery, with close imaging follow-up essential after the procedure.
Breast cancer cryotherapy remains a technique under ongoing evaluation: it is intended only for specific situations, selected case by case, and does not replace full oncological management (follow-up imaging, adjuvant treatments if indicated).
🔧 How does the procedure go?
- Local anaesthesia at the puncture site, under ultrasound guidance (CT can supplement guidance for deep lesions)
- Insertion of a thin cryoablation probe into the centre of the lesion
- Formation of an "ice ball" that must encompass the whole lesion with a safety margin
- Removal of the probe and a simple dressing - no stitches
- Return home the same day, with a quick return to usual activities
❓ Frequently asked questions
Is breast cryotherapy painful?
What scar is left after the procedure?
How long before I see the result on a fibroadenoma?
Can all breast cancers be treated with cryotherapy?
✅ Procedure covered by French national health insurance · No extra fees · Cochin Hospital AP-HP
📚 Scientific references
Barat M, Dohan A. Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging. 2026. Editorial written by the department's team, reviewing the state of the available evidence for breast cryoablation.
Multicentre study of patients aged 60 and over, with unifocal invasive tumours ≤ 1.5 cm, hormone receptor positive and HER2 negative, low grade.
✓ Why this page is trustworthy
Written by the Interventional Radiology team at Cochin Hospital AP-HP, Université Paris Cité. Medically reviewed by an interventional radiologist of the department. Last updated: August 2026.