A procedure in which extreme cold is applied to a tumor using a cryoprobe), a hollow needle-like device filled with argon gas which quickly freezes the targeted tumor: Cryoablation appears to be an effective treatment for cancerous kidney tumors, however follow-up studies are needed before the procedure can be widely applied, according to Thomas Atwell, M.D., a Mayo Clinic radiologist and the study's primary investigator.

The general criteria for cryoablation includes the size and appearance of the tumor and the number of lesions in the kidney.

For patients who undergo surgery, the hospital stay and recovery period are longer as compared to patients treated with cryoablation because patients who undergo cryoablation will have small quarter inch incision where the cryoprobe is inserted and the mark is covered with a bandage and recovery usually amounts to one day in a hospital, as compared to several days for patients who undergo surgery.