Fibroadenomas may be palpable (able to be felt) in the breast. While some remain unchanged for many years, they may grow to a size larger than a golf ball over time. Some women find these lumps or masses uncomfortable and bothersome, and may have associated pain or tenderness. ln some cases, fibroadenomas can physically deform the breast. The level of anxiety with these breast masses is personal.
Cryoablation for cancer is a treatment to kill cancer cells with extreme cold. During cryoablation, a thin, wand-like needle (cryoprobe) is inserted through your skin and directly into the cancerous tumour. The probe is guided using ultrasound. A gas is pumped into the cryoprobe in order to freeze the tissue. Then the tissue is allowed to thaw. The freezing and thawing process is repeated several times during the same treatment session.
Cryoablation has been successfully used to treat various types of solid tumours, including breast carcinomas, as well as benign breast lumps such as fibroadenomas. This ablation method has the advantage of being a minimally invasive procedure useful in various clinical situations, including early breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer, when comorbidities preclude the use of surgical treatment.
