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Cancer Resources > Cancer News > Cancer News from Reuters > Reuters Cancer News > 2002 > December
Radio-frequency ablation of metastatic bone lesions provides durable pain relief
M. Mary Pennell
Last Updated: 2002-12-03 14:00:20 -0400 (Reuters Health)
CHICAGO (Reuters Health) - Results of a multicenter study indicate that percutaneous radio-frequency ablation (RFA) of osteolytic metastatic lesions "can achieve dramatic reductions in pain while improving quality of life." Dr. Matthew R. Callstrom presented the findings at the 88th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North here this week
Dr. Callstrom, associate professor of radiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, reported that the average standardized Brief Pain Inventory score declined from 8/10 prior to ablation to 3/10 at 4 weeks after the procedure and to 2/10 at 12 weeks.
RF ablation was performed in 62 patients under general anesthesia, guided by CT or ultrasound. Dr. Callstrom said the best results are achieved when "the probe is guided through the tumor and we ablate right up against the bone. It isn't enough to simply ablate the lesion from the center."
All patients had one or two lesions and had either failed or were poor candidates for conventional radiation or chemotherapy. Fifty of the 62 patients achieved a high degree of pain relief and 45% had complete pain remission during the 6-month follow-up, Dr. Callstrom said.
Before ablation, pain "regularly interfered with daily activity, but after treatment patients were able to resume many activities. So this treatment, while not curative, restored a good quality of life for these patients," he said.
Although generally well tolerated, there were complications associated with RFA. "We had four major fractures during the 6 weeks following RFA and there were two minor complications: one patient had transient bowel/bladder incontinence and another patient had a slight ground pad burn. Additionally, three patients who had tumors with cutaneous fistulas did not achieve satisfactory pain relief."
Dr. Callstrom said the Food and Drug Administration approved RFA for use in treatment of bone metastases in October 2002.
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