Search

Breast cancer treatment has evolved through continuous integration of technological advances and changes in our understanding of tumor biology. Radical mastectomy was the best operation for the technology and beliefs of its time. Advances in technology, the acknowledgement that care is best delivered through a multi-modal approach, and continued investigation have resulted in less disfiguring procedures. Ablative therapy for the treatment of breast cancer is the natural continuation of this trend. Data from breast cancer ablation trials utilizing various energy forms have been favorable and have led to the development of ongoing multi-center treat and observe studies. This paper examines the current status of cryoablation, laser ablation, and focused ultrasound ablation for the treatment of breast cancers. The advantages and shortcomings of each technique are considered and the challenges to be met in order for ablative therapy to become a mainstream clinical treatment of breast cancer are discussed.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the article title. The captured title was “Local-Regional Evaluation and Therapy (D Euhus, Section Editor)” instead of “Ablative Treatment of Breast Cancer; Are We There Yet?”