Pelvic cancer recurrence: drop the arrow in the target.
BACKGROUND
Local recurrence of pelvic cancer is a therapeutic challenge. Medical history retrieve frequently high dose radiotherapy and multiple pelvic surgery. Thus, surgical resection is complex and leads to hazardous postoperative courses. We report a case of radiofrequency thermoablation (RFTA) of an isolated pelvic recurrence.


METHODS
A 53-year-old woman presented in 2006 with a small (20 mm) pelvic recurrence of an anal canal cancer initially treated by radiochemotherapy and amputation of the rectum. The recurrence was localized in the left vaginal wall, involving the obturator internus muscle. Treatment consisted on primary chemotherapy followed by RFTA under real time endovaginal sonography with cooling of the bladder. Small vaginal wall necrosis occurred in postoperative courses and rapidly cicatrized. The patient was still alive without evolution 22 months after the treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
RFTA is a feasible therapeutic option for some selected small isolated pelvic cancer recurrence. It allows good local control with survival improvement.
Bège
Thierry
T
Department of Surgical Oncology, Institut Paoli-Calmettes and Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France. beget@marseille.fnclcc.fr
Turrini
Olivier
O
Lelong
Bernard
B
Delpero
Jean-Robert
JR
D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014621:Vagina / Q000601:surgery