CT-Guided Cryoablation Achieves Significantly Higher Local Tumor Control in Sub-Solid Lung Tumors Compared With Solid Tumors: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

[OBJECTIVE] Cryoablation has proved to be an effective method to cure lung cancer based upon existing research, thus has been widely used in clinical practice. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CT-guided cryoablation for the treatment of different lung tumors, including solid and sub-solid lung tumors.

[METHODS] This retrospective study enrolled a total of 77 patients with lung tumors, comprising 46 solid tumors and 31 sub-solid tumors. All patients underwent CT-guided cryoablation. The various aspects of the treatment, including procedural details, technical success rate, complications, and local tumor control were systematically evaluated.

[RESULTS] The technical success rate of CT-guided cryoablation was 100%. The procedure was well-tolerated, with a low rate of major complications (4%). The most common complication is pneumothorax, which presents in 34.8% of patients with solid tumors as well as 51.6% of patients with sub-solid tumors. The incidence rates of all the complications were not statistically different. The median follow-up period was 24 months, during which local tumor control rates were 74% for solid lung tumors and 100% for sub-solid tumors. The overall survival rates at 24 months were 100%.

[CONCLUSION] CT-guided cryoablation appears to be an effective and safe treatment modality for different lung tumors, including solid and sub-solid tumors. The high technical success rate, low rate of major complications, and favorable local tumor control suggest that cryoablation could serve as a valuable alternative treatment especially for the tumors manifesting as sub-solid tumors.