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RecruitingNCT07232433Updated Jan 22, 2026

Safety and Efficacy Evaluation of Cryoablation in the Treatment of Ground-Glass Nodules

An interventional study of Cryoablation in Lung Cancer, sponsored by Ruijin Hospital. Recruiting at 2 sites in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-01-22.

Sponsored by Ruijin Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Nov 2025; still recruiting 10 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
90
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, making early diagnosis and intervention critical. With the widespread adoption of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening, the detection rate of pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs) has increased significantly. Although video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) remains the standard treatment for early-stage lung cancer, a considerable proportion of patients are ineligible for surgery due to advanced age, impaired cardiopulmonary function, or multiple nodules. Cryoablation, a minimally invasive ablation technique, uses ultra-low temperatures to induce tumor cell death. It offers distinct advantages, including well-defined ablation margins, reduced procedural pain, preservation of adjacent healthy structures, and potential immune activation, providing an important alternative for this patient population. However, the safety and long-term efficacy of cryoablation for GGNs require further high-quality clinical evidence.

This study aims to conduct a prospective, single-center, open-label clinical trial to systematically evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of cryoablation (percutaneous or electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy [ENB]-guided) for treating pulmonary GGNs. We plan to enroll 90 patients who meet the following criteria: pathologically or multidisciplinary team (MDT)-confirmed malignancy, GGN size ranging from 6-30 mm, solid component ratio \<25%, unsuitability for or refusal of surgery/radiotherapy, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1. The primary endpoint is the 2-year local recurrence rate after ablation. Secondary endpoints include the 5-year local recurrence rate, 3- and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates, technical success rate (ablation completion), perioperative complications (e.g., pneumothorax, hemorrhage, infection), postoperative pulmonary function, pain scores, length of hospital stay, and treatment-related costs. The results of this study will provide critical clinical evidence to support the use of cryoablation for GGNs, optimize patient selection criteria, and promote the advancement of this minimally invasive technique.

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Conditions studied

  • Lung Cancer

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03

In context

Lung Neoplasms

7,243 studies on the registry are indexed under Lung Neoplasms; 1,557 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 90 is above the median of 60 across 5,295 interventional studies indexed under Lung Neoplasms.

Browse Lung Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Ruijin Hospital is the lead sponsor of 635 studies on the registry; 359 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Age ≥ 18 years.
  • Malignancy confirmed by histopathology or multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussion.

For a solitary GGN: size between 6-30 mm. For multiple GGNs: each measuring 6-30 mm, with no more than 3 nodules deemed to require treatment upon MDT consensus.

  • Patient is ineligible for or unwilling to undergo video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).
  • Patient is ineligible for or declines radiotherapy or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT).
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1.
  • The subject demonstrates good compliance and has voluntarily provided written informed consent to participate.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of severe cardiac, pulmonary, hepatic, or renal dysfunction, rendering the patient ineligible for general anesthesia.
  • Contraindication to either bronchoscopy or computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous puncture.
  • High risk associated with percutaneous puncture for at least one target lesion, or absence of a feasible access route as determined by pre-procedural bronchoscopic path planning.
  • Platelet count \< 50 × 10⁹/L, or presence of an uncorrectable bleeding diathesis or coagulation disorder (prothrombin time > 18 seconds, or prothrombin activity \< 40%).
  • Concurrent participation in another interventional clinical trial, or anticipation of requiring additional antitumor therapy outside the scope of this study during the trial period.
  • Any other condition deemed by the investigator to render the patient unsuitable for study participation.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
90 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cryoablation group

    Procedure: Cryoablation

Interventions

  • ProcedureCryoablation

    Following enrollment, patients will undergo comprehensive preoperative evaluations, including thoracic computed tomography (CT), echocardiography, pulmonary function tests, electrocardiography, and laboratory blood tests, to confirm eligibility and exclude any contraindications. Eligible patients will be admitted for cryoablation, performed either percutaneously or under electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) guidance, followed by a structured postoperative follow-up regimen.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. 2-Year Local Recurrence Rate

    Time frame: At 2 Years Post-Treatment

Secondary outcomes

  1. Technical Success Rate

    Time frame: Perioperative

07

Study locations

1 of 2 sites recruiting
  • Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality 200025, China
    Not yet recruiting
  • Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality 200025, China
    Recruiting
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — Deidentified participant data

Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Icf, Csr

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 22, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07232433
Lead sponsor
Ruijin Hospital
Responsible party
Hecheng Li M.D., Ph.D (Chair of Department of Thoracic Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Ruijin Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
Nov 18, 2025
Start date
Nov 21, 2025
Primary completion
Oct 1, 2028 (estimated)
Completion
Oct 2030 (estimated)
Last update
Jan 22, 2026

Study contacts

Hecheng Li
Contact
lihecheng2000@hotmail.com
021-021-64370045

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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