For small kidney cancers, freezing better option than heat treatment

A preliminary study has found that for patients with early-stage renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) measuring 3 to 4 centimetres, a procedure called cryoablation that destroys cancer by freezing yields a lower risk of cancer-related death compared to heat-based thermal ablation (AUA).

The new findings have important implications for clinical decision-making and informed consent for patients.