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Radiofrequency Ablation
I know Radiofrequency Ablation is talked about on this forum. Here is a recent study that shows just how effective it can be! --Alan
Tumor-Zapping Technique Fights Kidney Cancer
Radiofrequency ablation has already proven useful against liver tumors, researchers note
Posted 8/3/07
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A heat-based technique called "CT-guided radiofrequency ablation" was almost 100 percent successful in destroying small malignant kidney tumors in a study of more than 100 patients, new research shows.
Radiofrequency ablation has been used successful in liver tumors since the early 1990s. A needle-like treatment probe, guided by computer tomography (CT), is inserted into the tumor where it emits a high-frequency alternating current. The current heats the tumor tissue and destroys it. Radiofrequency ablation is an outpatient procedure in which the patient is sedated but conscious, and a local anesthetic is used at the puncture site.
The technique targeted tumors ranging in size from 0.6 centimeters to 8.8 centimeters in size. A total of 125 tumors in 104 patients were treated between 2000 and 2006. Of the 95 tumors that were smaller than 3.7 cm, all were completely eradicated by a single treatment, the researchers reported in the August issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Seven of the remaining tumors were eradicated after a second treatment, the team added, for a total 93 percent success rate for all 125 tumors. The tumors were still gone 14 months after treatment. Of the 104 patients in the study, 101 went home the same day.
"This is the largest treatment group to date of patients with biopsy-proven renal malignancies," lead author Dr. Ronald J. Zagoria, of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Wnston-Salem, N.C., said in a prepared statement. "The results, a high cure rate and low complication rate, establish that at institutions with experience doing this procedure, this is an alternative method for treating small renal malignancies in patients who are not good surgical candidates," he said.
His team noted that the technique is best used for small tumors. Although it can be effective in larger tumors, there is always the risk of incomplete destruction. Further, tumors located near the middle of the kidney pose a particular challenge, because they are close to large blood vessels or the ureter, the tubes that transport urine from the kidney to the bladder.
Zagoria's group cautioned that surgery is still the preferred method of fighting kidney cancer in patients who are young, healthy and have two kidneys because there is no data available for long-term follow-up on the effects of radiofrequency ablation.
There are more than 51,000 new cases of kidney cancer every year in the United States and 12,000 deaths from the disease, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
More information
To learn more about kidney cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Tumor-Zapping Technique Fights Kidney Cancer
Radiofrequency ablation has already proven useful against liver tumors, researchers note
Posted 8/3/07
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A heat-based technique called "CT-guided radiofrequency ablation" was almost 100 percent successful in destroying small malignant kidney tumors in a study of more than 100 patients, new research shows.
Radiofrequency ablation has been used successful in liver tumors since the early 1990s. A needle-like treatment probe, guided by computer tomography (CT), is inserted into the tumor where it emits a high-frequency alternating current. The current heats the tumor tissue and destroys it. Radiofrequency ablation is an outpatient procedure in which the patient is sedated but conscious, and a local anesthetic is used at the puncture site.
The technique targeted tumors ranging in size from 0.6 centimeters to 8.8 centimeters in size. A total of 125 tumors in 104 patients were treated between 2000 and 2006. Of the 95 tumors that were smaller than 3.7 cm, all were completely eradicated by a single treatment, the researchers reported in the August issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Seven of the remaining tumors were eradicated after a second treatment, the team added, for a total 93 percent success rate for all 125 tumors. The tumors were still gone 14 months after treatment. Of the 104 patients in the study, 101 went home the same day.
"This is the largest treatment group to date of patients with biopsy-proven renal malignancies," lead author Dr. Ronald J. Zagoria, of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Wnston-Salem, N.C., said in a prepared statement. "The results, a high cure rate and low complication rate, establish that at institutions with experience doing this procedure, this is an alternative method for treating small renal malignancies in patients who are not good surgical candidates," he said.
His team noted that the technique is best used for small tumors. Although it can be effective in larger tumors, there is always the risk of incomplete destruction. Further, tumors located near the middle of the kidney pose a particular challenge, because they are close to large blood vessels or the ureter, the tubes that transport urine from the kidney to the bladder.
Zagoria's group cautioned that surgery is still the preferred method of fighting kidney cancer in patients who are young, healthy and have two kidneys because there is no data available for long-term follow-up on the effects of radiofrequency ablation.
There are more than 51,000 new cases of kidney cancer every year in the United States and 12,000 deaths from the disease, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
More information
To learn more about kidney cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
I had 3 ares like that found on Pet scan and when they did my second surgery to remove my diaphram, sitting on my liver lesions they removed them. Just finished 4 round of carbo and Doxil, scan was clear, however lots of neuropathy problems with the carbo. How is Leslie doing.
rmarie is right, the type of cancer is pretty irrelivant as long as it's within a certain size (even if it's larger it can be used but they say there is a chance part of it will survive). It can't be used on the microscopic disease effectively, only tumors.
In some countries, they still use 'radiation' treatment for ovca, but it's not common in the western world anymore.
In some countries, they still use 'radiation' treatment for ovca, but it's not common in the western world anymore.
OK next question they found 3 "small" "lesions" on the abdominal wall, each was under 5 cm, term lesion to me means a growing area of cells, like a blister, tumors and cysts are not lesions?? I know what a tumor/cyst look like, but would like to know why this could not be done to localized areas. Guess I am just fishing for answers. I am like a bull dog on this, I grab ahold of something and don't let go.
From what I've read they use it in OC and pretty much any cancer when there are contained ltumors, ie one area in the liver, no inflitrates. Same with the lung or the kidney or lung, not good for us who scatter the disease all over the place. Oh for the cure
have you found any place where they have used it on recurrances of OVCA, when the abominal wall has lesions seems to me if they can zap one kind of cancer it should work with the other ones that are visable on scans and measurable.
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