title: Radiofrequency thermal ablation of 69 lung neoplasms.
abstract: Radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA) is a new, minimally invasive technique offered in the treatment of various neoplasms. RFA produces ionic agitation within the area to be treated, resulting in the heating of neoplastic tissue using a radiofrequency generator. Well defined areas of coagulative necrosis are formed, thereby destroying the tumor. Percutaneous CT-guided RFA was performed in 34 patients with 69 lung neoplasms. Six patients were affected by primary Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), and 28 patients presented with metastatic lung nodules originating in various solid tumors. Patients were considered ineligible for surgery for the following reasons: medical comorbidities; technical reasons; severe respiratory insufficiency; refusal of surgery. Adequacy of treatment was assessed by CT-Scan and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) with gadolinium. A median follow-up of 9 months (3-25 months) resulted in 30 patients evaluable for response with a total of 63 nodules to be treated, 58 of which achieved complete necrotic response. Relapse occurred in 5/63 treated nodules. In 2 of these patients, relapse occurred exclusively in the treated nodules, whereas in the other 3 patients, relapse occurred in the treated nodules as well as at distant sites. 9 patients are alive and disease free. Pneumothorax requiring pleural drainage was the main complication, observed in 16% of the treatment sessions. Lung RFA has shown itself to be a safe and feasible option in the treatment of lung neoplasms in patients otherwise ineligible for surgery. The high rate of complete responses obtained in our study (92%) suggests that further investigation of lung RFA, combined with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy is warranted with the objective of improving local disease control and survival rates.
authors.affiliation: Unità Operativa di Radiologia Interventistica, IRCCS Oncologico Bari, Italy. c.gadaleta@infinito.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gadaleta
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ranieri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Armenise
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colucci
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lorusso
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cramarossa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiorentini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mattioli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed