title: Clinical pilot studies on pre-operative hyperthermic tumour ablation for advanced breast carcinoma using an 8 MHz radiofrequency heating device.
abstract: The multimodality treatment approach for advanced breast cancer provides survival advantages with decreased locoregional and distant recurrences, but these intensive anti-tumour treatments cause severe myelosuppression. Thus, in this study, the usefulness of pre-operative anti-tumour treatment without myelosuppression was investigated. Nine patients with advanced breast carcinoma underwent pre-operative hyperthermic tumour ablation (HTA) using an 8 MHz radiofrequency (RF) heating device (Thermotron RF-8) combined with a grounded needle electrode. The patients had a mean age of 58.3+/-13.9 years and included four patients with stage IIIA, two with stage IIIB and three with stage IV cancer. The target temperature was over 50 degrees C. They tolerated pre-operative HTA therapy well with no early or late complications. The initial mean tumour size was 122.1+/-71.5 cm3 and the post-HTA tumour size was 82.2+/-63.4 cm3; the reduction rate was significant (p = 0.000 293). After the pre-operative HTA, all patients underwent surgery with Level III nodal extirpation. Post-operatively, no locoregional recurrence was observed. Microscopic examination of the primary focus showed complete coagulation necrosis expanding for a diameter of 3.5-5.0 cm. Taken together, the pre-operative HTA was a safe, well-tolerated and effective treatment, achieving tumour reduction as well as complete coagulation necrosis that resulted in a large volume of destruction in breast cancer tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Social Insurance Funabashi Central Hospital, 6-13-10, Kaijin, Funabashi 273-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mutou
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toyasawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashida
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohkubo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy*; D004566:Electrodes; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D015411:Mastectomy, Modified Radical; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome