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Avatar universal

Why aren't more oncologists recommending RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION?

Hello All and especially Dr. Goodman!

I have been helping and advocating for my sister who has been surviving with OvCa for 5 1/2 years now thanks to the fact the we have researched the best treatments and gone to the doctors who are offering them- which has meant that she has flown to Boston to work with the team at MGH every year (with the exception of the past 2 in which she stuck with her docs in her home state, took the chemo they prescribed for 13 months, IV Cisplatin and then Doxil, and her cancer did not respond and she developed 2 tumors in her liver and 3 cancerous lymph nodes).

She should have stuck with MGH.

Thankfully she saw an article describing the success that Dr. Debra Gervais, from MGH of all places, has had in treating liver tumors from OvCa. She got in touch with both the oncologist and the radiologist and is now scheduled to have RFA on her tumors next week with a follow-up treatment of Avastin and another agent.

In doing more research, "google"ing "Radiofrequency Ablation cancer" I am really impressed with what has been accomplished with this therapy. It is being used to successfully treat tumors of the:
Liver, Kidney, Breast, Lung, Brain, Bone, Adrenal and Pancreas glands, Spleen, Prostate, Soft Tissue, Lymph Nodes and for Uterine Fibroids and Nerve Ablation.

It seems to, in most cases, kill the tumor and they do not return! You can't beat that!

Here is a great site that explains it very well:
http://www.ijri.org/article.asp?issn=0971-3026;year=2003;volume=13;issue=3;spage=315;epage=322;aulast=Nazir

I hope and pray that it helps my sister. The statistics are very encouraging.

The chemo is what worries me more. I hope the Avastin works and is less toxic.

But I'm perplexed at why in the world the oncologists aren't recommending this seemingly life extending treatment to most of their patients!

I know that they are different fields- oncology and radiology, but when something works then you add it to the "tool box" and it would seem that this should become a "gold standard" therapy, along with the "IP Cisplatin"- that MGH gave my sister 5 1/2 years ago (her home state doc said it would do no good)- and it gave her a 24 month cancer free remission!

With all due respect to you Dr. Goodman, and your fellow physicians (and I really do respect all of the wonderful doctors and staff at MGH, they have been incredible!)... Why did we have to ask for it? Why wasn't it suggested by any oncologist?

Are you going to suggest it now to your patients?

Thank you so much!
Crayolabarb

4 Responses
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16702 tn?1234090645
Thank you for bringing this to my attention.  Just got ct scan results and the minute nods on both lungs and liver have not changed in size or form after 9 cycles of carbo/taxol stage 4 OC.  So dr advised me to continue the chemo as maintainance 3 more times then another scan.  I really want to stop the chemo but she adviced against it.  Will do some more research on my own and will consult with my onc about doing RFA treatment as it sounds like the only reason to continue the chemo is to keep them under control...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello.....I made enquiries with my Oncol. about this treatment months ago, but he said it only worked for solid tumours, and stressed more so for liver, than anything else. As I don't have solid tumours... my cancer is 'seeded'... he said that RFA was not for my type of cancer, so maybe that's why the Oncols. don't suggest to patients, generally. If it will work on your sister's cancer, then that is wonderful news, and I hope she goes on to do well. Best wishes and hugs..Helen...
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Avatar universal
I have this problem also with the medical field. My father was diagnosed with kidney cancer. We went to a doctor in NYC and he suggested an operation. Then a few days later I was reading CURE magazine while doing chemo and they had an article about radiofrequency ablation and hos it is good for kidney cancer.

I told my father and he had it done at UMASS. It's been a few years now and so far good!

Not once did the NYC doctor tell my father that this was an option and cryosurgery was an also an option. So I have a big problem with this.

rmarie is right. It depends on where and how big the lesions are. And how much other disease is present. So not all ovarian cancer patients can do it. I am so glad that your sister is a good candidate for this!!!!

Good luck--you're a good sister,
Helen

Helpful - 0
158061 tn?1202678326
Your sister is lucky to have you on her side.  In looking at the RFA, from my reading they are recommending it to treat women with OC who are like your sister.  Those who have discreet lesions in the liver, and recently lymph nodes and no evidence of other disease.  They can do it in place of another operation.  Then they put them on chemo to cover any microscopic disease that may be there.  Unfortunately not everyone has tumors that are easily identifed, so they can be treated this way.  So it can be a gold standard for some of the ladies, however not all, because our disease takes a different form in all of us. Good luck to your sister.  
Helpful - 0
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