title: Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer: results in 20 nonsurgical candidates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to evaluate the outcomes of radiofrequency ablation for nonsurgical candidates with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out on 20 nonsurgical candidates (11 men and 9 women; mean age, 75.6 years) with clinical stage I (IA, n = 14; IB, n = 6) non-small cell lung cancer. All patients were deemed nonsurgical candidates because of poor pulmonary function (n = 7), poor cardiac function (n = 3), poor performance status (n = 4), or refusal to undergo surgery (n = 6). The mean long-axis tumor diameter was 2.4 cm. Twenty patients underwent 23 percutaneous ablation sessions, including 3 repeat sessions for the treatment of local progression. The outcomes of radiofrequency ablation were retrospectively evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Procedural complications included pneumothorax (n = 13 [57%]) and pleural effusion (n = 4 [17%]). One case of pneumothorax required chest tube placement. The median follow-up period was 21.8 months. Local progression was observed in 7 (35%) patients a median of 9.0 months after the first session. The local control rates were 72% at 1 year, 63% at 2 years, and 63% at 3 years. The mean survival time was 42 months. The overall survivals and cancer-specific survivals were 90% and 100% at 1 year, 84% and 93% at 2 years, and 74% and 83% at 3 years, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treating clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer with one or more radiofrequency ablation sessions provided promising outcomes in terms of survival, although the rate of local progression was relatively high. A prospective study with a larger population and longer follow-up is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Okayama University Medical School, Okayama, Japan. takaoh@tc4.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiraki
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gobara
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iishi
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.forename: Hiroyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Nobuhisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tajiri
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Date
authors.forename: Hidefumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome