Cryosurgery and Cryoablation

December 3, 2025 

This page was reviewed under our medical and editorial policy by Jonathan Kessler, M.D., associate clinical professor, Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, City of Hope^® Cancer Center Duarte

Cryoablation, also referred to as cryosurgery or cryotherapy, uses extreme cold to treat cancer in some patients. As an image-guided therapy, it requires patients who are candidates for this therapy to see an interventional radiologist for the procedure.

Cryoablation is used to treat a wide variety of cancers, from skin cancers to solid tumors in such organs as the liver, lung and prostate.

Because these cold therapies are less invasive than other types of cancer surgery, they may be less painful for patients, recovery may be more rapid and side effects may be less. For certain cancers, it is sometimes safe to have this procedure more than once in the same patient.

What Is Cryoablation?

Cryoablation is a medical procedure that uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy cancer cells as well as abnormal tissue that may become cancerous. During the procedure, liquid nitrogen or argon gas is pumped through a needle, which causes the needle to get cold. The needle is placed inside the tumor using imaging guidance to destroy the cancer cells. 

Patients with these cancers may be candidates for cryoablation:

• Bone cancer
• Lung cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Early-stage prostate cancer
• Liver cancer that has not spread
• Skin cancers
• Skin lesions from AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma

Cryoablation may also treat these noncancerous conditions:

• Actinic keratoses (abnormal skin growths that may become cancerous)
• Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (abnormal changes in cells of the cervix)
• Benign bone tumors (nonspreading)
• Nerve pain (the cryoablation is called "cryoneurolysis" when used for this condition)

Cryoablation Procedure

Cryoablation uses subzero cold temperatures produced by liquid nitrogen or argon gas to freeze cancer cells and abnormal tissue. How it is performed varies, according to the location of the cancer cells.

Skin: For tumors or abnormal tissue on the skin, no extensive preparation is needed. The doctor makes sure the skin is clean and dry, and uses a cotton swab or sprayer to apply liquid nitrogen directly to the affected area. Liquid nitrogen has a temperature far below zero degrees Fahrenheit, so it is fast-acting. Patients may feel a mild burning sensation, but local anesthesia is seldom needed during the procedure. As the frozen tissue thaws, the cancerous cells die and eventually form a scab. The scab falls off during the healing process.

Internal: To treat tumors inside the body, a device called a cryoprobe is used. Patients may receive local or general anesthesia before the procedure so that they do not feel pain. One or more cryoprobes are inserted inside the body through a small cut in the skin, or sometimes during another more complex surgery to treat the cancer. The radiologist uses ultrasound, a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to place the probe, or probes, directly on the tumor, to minimize damage to nearby tissue. Once placed, the cryoprobe is rapidly cooled by liquid nitrogen or argon gas, delivering extreme cold to tumor cells. When the frozen tissue thaws, the cells will die. The cells are then reabsorbed by the body and eliminated.

Cryoablation may be performed in a clinic setting or in a hospital. It depends on where and how deep the tumor is located and other patient factors. It may be administered in combination with other cancer treatments as well, such as hormone therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery.

Cryoablation Side Effects

Cryoablation may have side effects, but they are generally less severe than those that may come with other cancer treatments. 

Mild postprocedure discomfort may occur. Different organs respond differently to cryoablation. The care team will discuss the specific side effects with the patient, depending on the site and indication for treatment.