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Interventional oncology · UK

Cryoablation for cancer, image-guided freezing of tumours.

A percutaneous, MDT-led treatment for small renal, lung, liver, bone, breast and soft-tissue tumours - with the ice ball watched in real time on CT or MRI, and the option compared honestly against surgery, microwave, RFA and SBRT.

A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What private cryoablation costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our partner interventional oncology centres.

In short

Renal cryoablation for a T1a tumour: £9,000–£14,000, home the next day.

Procedure Indicative range
Renal cryoablation (T1a, < 4 cm) £9,000–£14,000
Lung cryoablation (oligometastasis) £8,500–£13,000
Liver cryoablation (selected cases) £9,000–£14,000
Bone metastasis cryoablation (palliation) £7,500–£12,000
Breast cryoablation (small ER+, selected) £6,500–£10,000
Soft-tissue cryoablation (desmoid) £7,500–£12,000
MDT review and planning consultation only £350–£600

Prices vary by centre, by the number and type of cryoprobes needed, by the anaesthetic, and by any imaging or overnight stay bundled in.

The problem

The right modality, in the right hands, for the right tumour.

Tumour ablation is often sold as a single technique. In reality, cryoablation, microwave, RFA, HIFU, SBRT and surgery each fit a specific tumour and patient - and someone has to compare them honestly before you agree.

  • Cryo, microwave or RFA?

    Each modality has a place. We say which fits your tumour location, size and adjacent structures - and why.

  • Done properly?

    A named interventional radiologist, a hybrid or interventional CT suite, a proper anaesthetic team and structured follow-up imaging.

When it helps

When cryoablation is the right step.

The tumour situations where cryoablation earns its place - plus the red flag that means an emergency, not a follow-up call.

  • Small renal tumours (T1a, < 4 cm)

    A well-established alternative to partial nephrectomy in select patients - nephron-sparing and low morbidity.

  • Lung oligometastases

    One to a few pulmonary metastases from colorectal, renal or sarcoma primaries - cryoablation offers local control with lung-sparing.

  • Liver tumours (selected)

    A limited role compared to microwave and RFA - reserved for lesions near heat-sensitive structures or when a visible ice ball is preferred.

  • Bone metastases - palliation

    Painful bony deposits from breast, lung, renal or prostate primaries - cryoablation gives durable pain relief, often with cementoplasty.

  • Small ER+ breast cancer (selected)

    Emerging role in older patients or those unfit for surgery - done under local anaesthetic with ultrasound guidance in appropriate cases.

  • Desmoid and soft-tissue tumours

    A recognised option for symptomatic desmoid fibromatosis and select soft-tissue lesions where surgery would be morbid.

  • Unfit for surgery or SBRT

    Patients whose comorbidities rule out general surgery, or whose tumour location makes stereotactic radiotherapy difficult.

  • Red flag: post-ablation deterioration

    Severe pain, breathlessness, blood in urine, fever or collapse in the days after ablation is not routine - same-day A&E, not a follow-up call.

Treatment options

Cryoablation is not the only option.

What each treatment on the table actually involves - and which fits which tumour. The MDT arbitrates, not the operator.

  • Cryoablation

    Argon-gas cryoprobes exploit the Joule–Thomson effect to form an ice ball. Ice-ball margin is visible on CT and MRI, so the treatment zone can be watched in real time.

  • Microwave ablation

    Fast, high-temperature heating. Often preferred in liver and lung where speed and reliable heating through blood flow matter more than a visible margin.

  • Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)

    Older heat-based technique. Still used for small liver, renal and bone lesions; slower than microwave and limited by heat sinks near vessels.

  • High-intensity focused ultrasound

    Non-invasive focused ultrasound. Limited to accessible targets (prostate, uterine fibroid, bone pain) and specialist centres.

  • Stereotactic body radiotherapy

    Highly focused external radiation over 3–8 sessions. A strong alternative for lung, spine, liver and prostate lesions - no probe, but a course rather than a single treatment.

  • Surgery (partial nephrectomy etc.)

    The gold standard for many curable solid tumours. Discussed alongside ablation for T1a renal, small colorectal metastases and other selected cases.

  • Active surveillance

    For very small, slow-growing lesions in older or comorbid patients, no treatment plus serial imaging is sometimes the right answer.

  • Systemic therapy alone

    Chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted agents may be enough when local ablation would add little - an oncologist’s call, not a proceduralist’s.

Safety and complications

What can go wrong - honestly.

Cryoablation is a safe procedure in experienced hands, but it is not risk-free. The complications worth knowing about are these - most are manageable if the team is prepared.

  • Haemorrhage

    Bleeding at the probe track is the commonest complication - usually minor, occasionally needing embolisation. Anticoagulants are managed in advance.

  • Cryoshock (rare)

    A rare systemic response - coagulopathy, ARDS and DIC - described mainly with large-volume liver cryoablation. Modern probes and staged cycles have made it uncommon.

  • Skin frostbite

    The skin over the probe entry can freeze if warming saline is not used. Uncommon in experienced hands, but a real risk to know about.

  • Pneumothorax (lung cases)

    Air in the pleural space after lung cryoablation is common - usually small and self-limiting; occasionally needing a chest drain overnight.

  • Collecting-system injury (renal)

    Injury to the renal collecting system can cause urinoma or haematuria. Central tumours are protected with warmed saline (pyeloperfusion).

  • Biliary injury (liver)

    Central liver tumours risk bile-duct injury and biloma. Cryoablation may actually be gentler here than heat-based methods for the ducts themselves.

  • Nerve injury

    Nerves close to the ice ball - brachial plexus, sciatic, intercostal - can be temporarily or permanently damaged. Neuroprotection with hydrodissection is standard.

  • Incomplete ablation and recurrence

    The ice ball must extend a 5–10 mm margin beyond the tumour. Under-treatment risks local recurrence - hence the strict follow-up imaging schedule.

  • Red flags

    Worsening pain, fever, breathlessness, heavy blood in urine or collapse in the days after ablation are not normal - same-day A&E, and tell the IR team.

Reading your procedure report

Your cryoablation report in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whichever organ was treated, the interventional radiology report keeps to the same shape.

A UK consultant interventional radiologist reviewing a patient’s post-ablation imaging

A quiet reminder

Interventional radiology language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.

If you would like us to talk you through the report before your MDT review, just ask.

  1. 01 Header

    Indication, target lesion and modality

    The tumour treated, its size and location, and why cryoablation was chosen over microwave, RFA, SBRT or surgery.

  2. 02 Technique

    Guidance, probes and freeze–thaw cycles

    Imaging guidance used (CT, US, MRI), number and type of cryoprobes, freeze–thaw cycle timings, and any protective measures (hydrodissection, pyeloperfusion, warming saline).

  3. 03 Findings

    Ice-ball coverage and immediate complications

    Whether the ice ball covered the tumour with an adequate margin, and any immediate bleeding, pneumothorax or collecting-system findings on the post-procedure scan.

  4. 04 Impression

    Follow-up plan and MDT next steps

    Read this first: expected recovery, symptoms to report, the follow-up imaging schedule (1, 3, 6, 12 months), and when the tumour MDT will review the result.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Cover for cryoablation varies by insurer, indication and MDT recommendation - most oncological indications are funded with pre-authorisation.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about cryoablation for cancer.

Quick answers on how it works, which tumours qualify, how it compares to SBRT and surgery, and the risks that matter.

  • Can I have cryoablation instead of surgery for my cancer?

    For selected small kidney, lung, bone, breast and liver tumours, yes - cryoablation is an image-guided alternative to surgery for people who are unfit for an operation or who want to avoid one. An interventional radiologist places thin cryoprobes through the skin under CT, ultrasound or MRI guidance and forms an ice ball that destroys the tumour with a margin of normal tissue; London’s specialist centres usually do it as a day case or single overnight stay.

  • Which cancers can be treated with cryoablation?

    Most commonly small renal tumours under 4 cm (T1a), lung metastases in oligometastatic disease, painful bone metastases, and selected liver, breast, desmoid and soft-tissue tumours. Suitability is decided at a tumour MDT, not by the operator alone.

  • How is cryoablation different from microwave or radiofrequency ablation?

    Microwave and RFA use heat; cryoablation uses cold. The main practical advantage of cryo is that the ice ball is visible on CT and MRI in real time, so the treatment margin can be watched. Heat-based methods are usually faster and are preferred in the liver and in most lung work.

  • How does cryoablation compare to stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT)?

    SBRT is a highly focused external radiotherapy course, usually 3–8 sessions, with no probe. Cryoablation is a one-off percutaneous procedure. Both are valid for many small lung, spine and renal lesions - the choice depends on tumour location, patient fitness, prior radiation and MDT preference.

  • What happens during the procedure?

    Usually under general anaesthetic in a hybrid theatre or interventional CT suite. Cryoprobes are placed through the skin under imaging guidance. Two freeze–thaw cycles are run - typically 10 minutes freeze, 8 minutes thaw, repeated - and the ice ball is monitored on scan.

  • How long is recovery?

    Most patients stay one night, are home the next day and back to routine activities within a week. Local soreness and bruising are normal; heavy exercise and long-haul travel wait two weeks. Follow-up imaging starts at one month.

  • What are the main risks?

    Bleeding at the probe track, pneumothorax with lung ablation, urinoma or haematuria with renal ablation, biliary injury with liver work, skin frostbite, nerve injury near the ice ball, and - very rarely - cryoshock (coagulopathy, ARDS, DIC). Incomplete ablation with later recurrence is the main oncological risk.

  • Will one treatment be enough?

    Often, yes - but not always. If follow-up imaging shows residual or recurrent tumour, a repeat cryoablation, a different modality or a change of strategy is discussed at the MDT.

  • How much does private cryoablation cost in the UK?

    Roughly £7,500–£14,000 depending on organ, tumour size and complexity, plus the planning and follow-up imaging.

  • When should I seek urgent help after the procedure?

    Worsening pain not controlled by prescribed painkillers, new breathlessness, heavy fresh blood in urine, a temperature over 38 °C, or collapse are all reasons to go to A&E the same day and to contact the IR team.

Related

Looking for something else?

In practice, in London

How cryoablation for cancer tends to unfold when you go private

For cryoablation for cancer, the private London route is mostly about consultant fit and hospital choice rather than raw waiting time. Public provision for cryoablation for cancer is competent but constrained by capacity. Private London clinics tend to have shorter diaries and longer appointment slots, so you get the same specialists with more time. For people who’ve been going round in circles with primary care, that first proper conversation is often what shifts things.

The mechanics are straightforward: a consultant appointment, any tests done at a nearby CQC-registered site, and a written report back within a few days. London’s density of private diagnostics - Marylebone, the City, Chelsea, Canary Wharf - means most patients can find something that fits around work without a cross-town trek. For cryoablation for cancer in particular, we bias towards consultants who do this every week rather than every month.

There are a lot of consultants in London who can technically handle cryoablation for cancer. Fewer who do it week in, week out for the exact question you’re bringing. We spend most of our time working out which is which - and being straight when a different test or a different specialist would serve you better. Everything runs to CQC, GMC and Royal College standards; the choice is about fit, not floor.