title: Experiences in US-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of 44 renal tumors in 31 patients: analysis of predictors for complications and technical success.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Preliminary clinical studies have shown the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA) of renal tumors, but only a few have analyzed the prognostic factors for technical success and there are no long-term results. Our objective was to statistically evaluate our mid-term results of percutaneous US-guided RFA in order to define predictors for complications and technical success.
  
  
  METHODS
  We selected for treatment 44 tumors in 31 patients (24 with renal cell carcinoma, 7 with hereditary tumors, 15 with a solitary kidney), up to 5 cm in diameter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight adverse events occurred; 3 (6.8%) were major complications, successfully treated with interventional radiology procedures in 2 cases. Exophytic extension of the tumor was protective against complications (p = 0.040). Technical success was obtained in 38 lesions after one RFA session and in 39 (89%) after one more session, when possible. At the end of treatment, central extension was the only negative predictor for technical success (p = 0.007), while neither size >3 cm (p = 0.091) nor other prognostic factors were statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  US-guided percutaneous RFA can be proposed for non-central renal tumors up to 5 cm, also in patients without surgical contraindications, thanks to a low incidence of complications and a high success rate. Randomized controlled trials versus surgery are now needed to investigate long-term comparative results.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University of Turin, Via Genova 3, Turin 10126, Italy. andrea_veltri@infinito.it
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Veltri
authors.forename: Amedeo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tosetti
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Genovesio
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Virzì
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ferrando
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gandini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional