Wednesday, December 2 | 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. | W3-SSBR08-5 | Room S406A
Researchers will assess the financial impact of launching a breast cancer cryoablation service line within an existing breast imaging practice.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2025 gave the nod to ultrasound-guided cryoablation for breast cancer treatment, but practices want to know what it costs to implement this approach
Janice Thai, MD, from Mass General Brigham in Boston will share her team’s analysis on the financial and economic impact of launching a breast cancer cryoablation service line within an existing breast imaging practice.
The team determined implementation costs from per-unit hospital purchase prices for argon cryogen, the cryoablation probe, and disposable supplies. It compared the standard national average reimbursement for cryoablation with payments for comparable ultrasound-, stereotactic-, contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM)-, and MRI-guided biopsies. Hospital billing information came from the electronic health record.
The analysis included 50 procedures performed at a hospital outpatient breast imaging center between 2023 and 2026: 10 each of cryoablation and the four biopsy types.
Cryoablation had the highest procedural cost, averaging $1,940, compared with $148.09 for ultrasound-guided, $298.80 for stereotactic, $320.15 for CEM-guided, and $583.00 for MRI-guided biopsy. CMS reimbursement for cryoablation was $3,829.28 (CPT 0581T), plus $139.10 for the initial physician consultation (CPT 99202). Global biopsy payments ranged from $1,766.77 to $1,791.68.
Net revenue was $2,028.38 for cryoablation, versus $1,618.68 for ultrasound-guided, $1,477.35 for stereotactic, and $1,208.68 for MRI-guided biopsy. Cryoablation generated $409.70, $551.03, and $819.70 more than those three biopsy types, respectively (p < 0.01). Its payment-to-charge ratio was like other modalities, except for CEM-guided biopsy, where commercial payor differences were a factor.
The data shows that practices can add the service line without incurring a financial loss., according to the authors.
Find out how by attending this session.
