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CRYoablation for Small Tumors As Local Treatment - SIX Trial

Cryoablation Versus Breast Surgery in the Local Treatment of Early-Stage Breast Cancer - Six Trial

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06839001
Acronym
CRYSTAL - SIX
Enrollment
750
Registered
2025-02-21
Start date
2025-03-01
Completion date
2030-03-01
Last updated
2025-06-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Breast Cancer, Breast Neoplasm

Keywords

Breast Cancer, Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures, Cryoablation, Locoregional Recurrence, Cost-Minimization Analysis

Brief summary

To demonstrate the non-inferiority of cryoablation compared to breast surgery for the local treatment of early-stage breast cancer and to conduct a cost-minimization analysis comparing direct costs between treatments.

Detailed description

This study compares cryoablation with breast surgery for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer (T1N0M0), evaluating locoregional recurrence, cost-minimization, and disease-free survival. The primary objective is to demonstrate the non-inferiority of cryoablation compared to breast surgery for local treatment of early-stage breast cancer over five years, as well as to perform a cost-minimization analysis to compare the direct costs of both treatments over one year. The secondary objectives include assessing locoregional recurrence at one year, evaluating disease-free survival and overall survival over five years, analyzing circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as prognostic factors and for monitoring cryoablation at baseline (study inclusion), six months, and twelve months, measuring patient satisfaction one year after randomization using the Breast-Q questionnaire, and assessing quality of life using the EQ-5D questionnaire. Cryoablation is a nonsurgical, minimally invasive technique that destroys tumor tissue through cyclic freezing and thawing using cryoprobes. This process induces cellular death without requiring hospitalization, allowing for faster recovery. Additionally, the study incorporates a de-escalated and personalized approach to breast cancer treatment by omitting sentinel lymph node biopsy, integrating ultrahypofractionated radiotherapy, and utilizing liquid biopsy.

Interventions

PROCEDUREcryoablation

Two devices can be used to perform cryoablation: Cryocare® and ProSense IceCure®: * Cryocare® - This procedure utilizes two types of gases: argon gas for freezing and helium gas for thawing. * ProSense IceCure® - This procedure uses extremely low temperatures generated by liquid nitrogen (LN2) to freeze and destroy the target tissue, without the need for an additional gas.

PROCEDUREBreast Surgery (Lumpectomy or Mastectomy)

Surgery can be performed as lumpectomy or mastectomy and axillary surgery, preferably sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Sponsors

Hospital do Coracao
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

The initial 750 participants will be randomized in a 1:1 manner to either cryoablation or breast surgery. This is a Phase 3 randomized trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of cryoablation compared to breast surgery for early-stage breast cancer. Although the intervention does not involve drugs or biologics, it meets the criteria of a Phase 3 trial as a confirmatory study of an interventional procedure.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Unifocal primary invasive breast carcinoma * Tumor size ≤ 2.0 cm (T1) * Complete pathological report (including results for ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67, and FISH report for the ERBB2 gene, if necessary) * Lesion visible on ultrasound * Surgical treatment would be the first option, regardless of immunohistochemistry results

Exclusion criteria

* Multifocal or multicentric invasive breast carcinoma * Ductal carcinoma in situ * Breast cancer with skin involvement * Clinically positive axilla (N1, N2 or N3) * Distance from lesion and skin less than 5 mm * Prior neoadjuvant systemic therapy for breast cancer * Distant metastasis

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Locoregional recurrence (LRR)5 yearsLRR was defined as recurrence in the ipsilateral breast or chest wall, as well as in the ipsilateral axillary, supraclavicular/infraclavicular region, or internal mammary lymph nodes detected during follow-up, regardless of whether distant metastasis occurred before, after, or simultaneously.
Cost-minimization1 yearA cost-minimization analysis is an economic technique used to compare the costs of different interventions or treatments that produce equivalent outcomes in terms of efficacy and clinical effects. In other words, this analysis is applied when treatments are assumed to have the same clinical effectiveness, and the goal is to determine which one has the lowest cost. It is a type of cost-effectiveness analysis that compares only the costs of two or more technologies, as the health effects resulting from the compared technologies are considered similar. Clinical outcomes will not be taken into account. We will calculate the costs by collecting data on both direct and indirect expenses associated with the treatments. Direct costs will include procedure-related expenses such as equipment, supplies, medical fees, associated tests and consultations, hospitalization costs if applicable, and medication use. Indirect costs, if a societal perspective is considered, will include factors such as ti

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Overall Survival (OS)5 yearsOS is defined as the time from the date of first dose to the date of death due to any cause.
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs)1 yearCTCs are tumor cells that have sloughed off the primary tumor and extravasate into and circulate in the blood. Blood samples will be collected from participants included in the study at the time of the procedure, at 6 months, and at 1 year. A total of 10 mL of blood will be drawn via peripheral venipuncture into EDTA tubes (BD Vacutainer®), which will be maintained under homogenization for up to 6 hours at room temperature until filtration is performed (ISET®; Rarecells Diagnostics, Paris, France). CTCs will be identified through cytopathological analysis. After filtration, membranes washed with PBS and air-dried will be stored at -20°C until analysis. Blood samples for CTC research will preferably be sent within 48 hours and no later than 72 hours to the coordinating center.
Locoregional recurrence (LRR)1 yearLRR was defined as recurrence in the ipsilateral breast or chest wall, as well as in the ipsilateral axillary, supraclavicular/infraclavicular region, or internal mammary lymph nodes detected during follow-up, regardless of whether distant metastasis occurred before, after, or simultaneously.
EQ-5D questionnaire1 yearQuality of life will be assessed using the EQ-5D questionnaire. The EQ-VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) thermometer is a component of the EQ-5D, a standardized instrument for measuring health-related quality of life. In the EQ-VAS, patients evaluate their own health status at a given moment using a numerical scale from 0 to 100, where 0 represents the worst imaginable health state and 100 represents the best imaginable health state.
Patient satisfaction1 monthPatient satisfaction will be assessed using the Breast-Q questionnaire, a validated tool designed to measure patient-reported outcomes related to breast surgery and treatment.
Disease-free survival (DFS)5 yearsDFS is defined as the time from procedure to time of ipsilateral recurrence, contralateral recurrence, regional recurrence or distant metastasis, or date of last follow-up if none of the recurrence events occur.

Countries

Brazil

Contacts

Primary ContactVanessa Monteiro Sanvido, PhD, Professor
dravanessasanvido@gmail.com+55 11 5576484
Backup ContactAfonso Celso Pinto Nazário, PhD, Professor
nazarioafonso@hotmail.com+55 11 5576484

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 19, 2026