MINIMALLY INVASIVE RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION (RFA) THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER utoh@med.kurume-u.ac.jp

3103-08

MINIMALLY INVASIVE RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION (RFA) THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER

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Japan

Oral or Poster

In December 2023, Japan became the first country to include radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy for breast cancer under national insurance. Our hospital was officially recognized as a certified medical institution capable of providing RFA therapy for breast cancer from June 2024.

RFA is available for patients with localized breast cancer (tumor ≤1.5 cm, no nodal or distant metastasis). Using the Cool-tip™ RF system (Medtronic, USA), tumors are heated to 70–90°C by radiofrequency waves for approximately 10 minutes. Post-RFA treatment includes standard adjuvant therapies (radiotherapy, chemo-endocrine therapy). Three months after radiotherapy, biopsy using 11-gauge vacuum-assisted mammotomy is performed to confirm complete tumor ablation. Additional treatments, including surgery, are considered based on biopsy results.

Between June 2024 and July 2025, 25 women (19 IDC, 6 DCIS; ages 45–81) underwent RFA with sentinel node biopsy. Median tumor size was 11 mm (range 4.2–14.4 mm), median procedure time was 61 minutes (50–86), and median hospital stay was four days. Minor complications included subcutaneous bleeding and breast induration in two patients. Among eleven patients who underwent scheduled post-RFA biopsy, no residual disease was detected around and within ablated tumor lesion.

Early outcomes suggest that RFA is a safe, minimally invasive alternative to traditional breast-conserving surgery, offering comparable oncologic results with better cosmetic outcomes, reduced pain, and quicker recovery. Long-term studies are warranted based on the demonstrated oncologic safety and cosmetic outcomes.