Radiotherapy of solitary plasmacytoma

Management of Metastatic Spinal Disease - A Practical Approach

STUDY DESIGN

Narrative review.

OBJECTIVE

This review presents a comprehensive approach to the management of spinal metastases.

METHODS

N/A.

RESULTS

The wide spectrum of clinical presentation in spinal metastases necessitates a personalized approach to treatment planning. This includes a comprehensive diagnostic workup, oncological management, palliation of symptoms, and surgical intervention if appropriate. A systematic and multidisciplinary approach allows optimal shared decision making to reach an evidence-informed and value-congruent treatment plan for the patient. We highlight how advances in stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and separation surgery may be incorporated into clinical management from a spine surgeon's perspective.

CONCLUSION

This review summarizes the approach and management of spinal metastases, its outcomes and complications.

Radiographic Response of Solitary Plasmacytomas After Conformal Radiotherapy May Be Delayed: Outcomes in the 3D Era

OBJECTIVE

Although recurrence rates after radiotherapy for solitary plasmacytoma (SP) are well established, little is known about how SP responds radiographically, as most historical patients were treated in the 2D era. We evaluated the response to radiotherapy among SP patients staged and treated with 3D techniques, including proton therapy, which has not yet been previously reported.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Between 2007 and 2021, 15 SP patients (4 extramedullary, 11 bone) staged with 3D imaging and bone marrow evaluation were consecutively treated with definitive radiotherapy. The best response was categorized in 9 evaluable patients according to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) and positron emission tomography response criteria in solid tumors (PERCIST).

RESULTS

With a median follow-up of 34 months, 4 patients relapsed. The median time to the best response was ~2 years (26.6 mo RECIST, 25.4 mo PERCIST). Response rates differed based on response assessment criteria. PERCIST was associated with higher rates of complete (85.7%) or partial response (14.3%) compared with RECIST (16.7% complete, 33.3% partial). Two-year and 4-year PFS for extramedullary SP were 100% and 75%, compared with 91% and 55% for bone ( P =0.75). Patients treated with proton therapy (n=5) did not appear to have different patterns of relapse (1 marginal, 1 distant) compared with those treated with photons or electrons (n=10; 2 distant).

CONCLUSIONS

More conformal dose distribution with proton therapy does not appear to alter patterns of recurrence. Although response rates differ based on criteria by both RECIST and PERCIST assessments, the radiographic response may be slow and requires validation in other cohorts.

Two cases of extramedullary plasmacytoma of the small intestine presenting with ileus: A case report

BACKGROUND

Extramedullary (extraosseous) plasmacytoma (EMP) of the small intestine is a rare plasma cell neoplasm (PCN) that presents with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, etc. We describe 2 cases of EMP of the small intestine that presented with ileus.

METHODS

A 78-year-old woman and 68-year-old man visited our clinic with complaints of abdominal discomfort and obstruction. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a thickened lesion with multiple enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes (LNs) in the ileum and duodenum. The female patient underwent segmental resection in the ileum. The male patient underwent Whipple's operation in the duodenum.

RESULTS

Histopathological examination and immunohistochemical staining of resected specimens from the 2 patients confirmed a PCN. In the surgical specimens of 2 cases, immunoglobulin heavy-chain rearrangement was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction amplification, but no Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected cells were found by EBV-in situ hybridization. Bone marrow aspirate and trephine biopsies were negative for the type of PCN. Bone marrow cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed no abnormalities. Serum β2-microglobulin levels were within normal limits. Additionally, none of the patients showed an M-spike in serum or urine protein electrophoresis. Therefore, the patients were diagnosed with a solitary EMP of the small intestine. The female patient refused treatment. At follow-up 3 months postoperatively, her disease progressed and she newly developed multiple LNs and nodular lesions in the right pelvic side wall. She was treated with dexamethasone. The male patient experienced back pain 25 days after Whipple's operation. Spine series magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intermediate signal intensity mass in the posterior epidural space from T8/9 to T10. The mass was removed, and the same histologic features were identified as duodenal masses. He was treated with dexamethasone and radiotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

EMPs of the small intestine are easy to overlook because they rarely occur in the small intestine. Although surgery is not required for diagnosis, surgical resection can be a good option for EMPs of the small intestine, instead of local radiation therapy. However, close follow-up is required due to the possibility of relapse or progression to plasma cell myeloma.

18F-FDG PET/CT in the Evaluation of Solitary Extramedullary Plasmacytoma: A Case Series

The role of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and other plasma cell disorders is well-known. Solitary plasmacytoma (SP), an extremely rare form within this entity accounting for approximately 4% of plasma cell malignancies, can be classified as solitary bone plasmacytoma (SBP) or solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma (SEMP). Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare neoplasm characterized by the monoclonal proliferation of plasma cells outside the bone marrow. Breast and craniocerebral regions are the uncommon sites of the presentations of EMP, rarely reported in the literature. The most frequent site of presentation is the upper airways. The EMPs have similar pathogenesis as MM; however, they differ in management as they are radiosensitive in nature, and radiotherapy is the preferred treatment modality. As SEMP has a better prognosis than SPB with a lower conversion rate to MM, accurate staging is essential to plan for the treatment. The ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT has higher sensitivity for the evaluation of treatment response. In the present case series, it was aimed to depict the role of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in newly diagnosed SEMP with different sites of origin to exclude further lesions leading to changes in the treatment plan and treatment response assessment.

Reossification and prognosis following radiotherapy with/without surgery for spinal solitary plasmacytoma of the bone: a retrospective study of 39 patients

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Solitary plasmacytoma of bone (SPB) can progress to multiple myeloma (MM). Little attention has been paid to the reossification findings on computed tomography (CT) and their correlation with prognosis after radiotherapy with/without surgery.

PURPOSE

To evaluate reossification after radiotherapy and prognostic factors of spinal SPB using single-center data.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective observational study.

PATIENT SAMPLE

Patients who had spinal SPB and received radiotherapy with/without surgery, without chemotherapy, denosumab or zoledronic acid.

OUTCOME MEASURES

MM progression rate, mortality rate, and reossification rate at 12 months.

METHODS

This retrospective clinical review included 39 patients who underwent radiotherapy as first-line treatment for SPB in the spine. External radiation was divided into 20-25 fractions with a total dose of 35-46 Gy. At the 12-month follow-up after the index radiotherapy, significant and mild reossification, defined as bone formation with ≥30% or 0%-30% increase, respectively, in bony area based on increase in CT values were documented, along with progressive disease, which was a decrease in bony area with lesion enlargement. This study was funded by AO Foundation, AOSpine (AOSDIA2019-026) (CHF45,000), Peking University Medicine Seed Fund for Interdisciplinary Research (BMU2018MX022) (¥40,000), and Peking University Third Hospital (No. Y71508-01) (¥400,000).

RESULTS

Twenty-six men and 13 women (mean age, 51.5 years) were included. Solitary plasmacytomas were located in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae in 16, 17, and 6 patients, respectively. The mean clinical follow-up period after treatment was 72 (range 12-216) months. Sixteen patients (41.0%) had significant reossification after radiotherapy, 21 (53.8%) showed mild reossification, and 2 (5.2%) had progressive bony destruction (after 7 and 23 months, respectively). There were no significant differences in age among the three groups (p=.127). At a mean follow-up of 37 (range 6-90) months after radiosurgery, 14 (35.8%) patients developed MM, including 9 patients who died at a mean duration of 55 (range 19-102) months. In the significant reossification group, only 1 patient (6.3%, 1 of 16) had MM progression 82 months after treatment (p=.044). In the mild reossification group, 56.5% (13 of 23) of patients had MM progression. The significant reossification rates of the radiotherapy dose groups of <40 Gy and ≥40 Gy were 35.7% and 44% (p=.614), respectively. In the univariate analysis, age ≥65 years (p<.001), tumor ≥5 cm (p=.009), Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score scores ≥11.5 (p=.040), radiotherapy (RT) combined with surgery (p<.001), and progression to MM (p=.007) were the independent prognostic factors for overall survival; whereas, age >44 years (p=.045) and RT combined with surgery (p<.001) were for multiple myeloma-free survival. In the multivariate analyses, age >65 years (p=.004) and progression to MM (p=.007) were the unfavorable independent factors for overall survival, whereas RT combined with surgery (p=.004) was the only factor for multiple myeloma-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with spinal SPB, 41.0% lesions showed significant reossification after radiotherapy. Patients with significant reossification had a better prognosis with less possibility of MM progression. Radiotherapy may be a safe and effective treatment choice for spinal SPB; more attention should be paid to reossification.

Impact of radiation dose on local control and survival in extramedullary head and neck plasmacytoma

Background

Patients with plasma-cell neoplasia usually suffer from systemic disease, although a minority (< 5%) may present with solitary involvement of bone or soft tissue (extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP)). Radiotherapy (RT) is a state-of-the-art treatment for these tumors offering long term curation.

Methods and materials

Between January 2005 and January 2017, twenty-seven patients underwent RT at our institution. The aim of this study was to analyse the effectiveness of various RT doses for different forms of EMP.

Results

A total of 33 radiation courses were administered to 27 patients with a median age of 56 years. The median RT dose was 45 Gy (range: 12–55.8). The local control rate was 76% (93% for primary EMP vs. 61% for the secondary EMP lesions; P < 0.05). A complete response (CR) rate to local RT was achieved for 42% lesions (67% for primary EMP vs. 22% for the secondary EMP lesions; P < 0.01). The overall response rate (ORR) for the EMP lesions treated with high-dose regimens (> 45 Gy) versus low-dose regimens (≤ 45 Gy) was 87% versus 67%, respectively (P = 0.2). The median survival with high-dose RT group was significantly longer (P = 0.02). In subgroups analysis, primary EMP patients treated with high-dose RT had a non-significant higher ORR (100% vs. 80%, respectively; P = 0.3,) longer duration of LC (P = 0.3) with a longer survival (P = 0.05) than patients in low-dose group. No significant difference has been detected in secondary EMP patients treated with high-dose RT regarding ORR (60% vs. 62%, respectively; P = 1), and survival (P = 0.4).

Conclusion

RT is an efficacious treatment modality in the treatment of EMP. A radiation dose ≤45 Gy confer a comparable CR rate to high-dose regimens and appears to be an effective treatment for controlling local EMP progression. Radiation dose-escalation may be beneficial for particular subgroups of patients.

Clinical features, radiological profiles, and surgical outcomes of primary intracranial solitary plasmacytomas: a report of 17 cases and a pooled analysis of individual patient data

PURPOSE

We aim to delineate the clinical characteristics of patients with primary intracranial solitary plasmacytoma (PISPC) and prognostic factors for their outcomes.

METHODS

This study retrospectively reviewed 17 patients with PISPC from our center and an additional 70 cases of PISPC published previously to analyze outcome predictors.

RESULTS

The entire cohort included 38 (43.7%) males and 49 (56.3%) females with a mean age of 54 years. Skull base tumors were found in 49 (56.3%) patients. Gross total resection (GTR) was achieved in 31 (35.6%) patients. Postoperative adjuvant treatments, including radiotherapy (RT) alone, chemotherapy (CMT) alone, and RT + CMT were administered in 49 (56.3%) patients, 3 (3.5%) patients, and 16 (18.4%) patients, respectively. After a median follow-up of 24 (mean 42.4) months, the 5-year disease progression-free survival (PFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), multiple myeloma (MM)-free survival (MMFS), and overall survival (OS) were 52.9%, 76.2%, 69.6%, and 76.1%, respectively. Multivariate analysis unveiled that a skull base tumor location (HR 2.395, p = 0.040) and no RT (HR 3.115, p = 0.004) were negative prognostic factors for PFS, no RT (HR 10.526, p = 0.003) for RFS, each 1-year increase in age (HR 1.039, p = 0.049) for MMFS, and increasing age (HR 1.052, p = 0.043) and CMT (HR 6.022, p = 0.005) were risk factors for OS. However, GTR did not benefit the aforementioned outcomes.

CONCLUSION

For patients with presumed PISPC, a biopsy followed by RT is recommended for skull base PISPC. However, the role of CMT is still not clear. Our findings need to be verified in a larger prospective cohort in the future. Systematic review registration number CRD42018098782.

Incidence of spinal disease and role of spinal radiotherapy in multiple myeloma

Background

Spinal disease (spd) in multiple myeloma (mm) can be a major source of morbidity in newly diagnosed patients and long-term survivors. We retrospectively assessed the incidence of spinal disease in patients newly diagnosed with myeloma, its effect on survival, and the possible effect of spinal radiation therapy (rt).

Methods

Patients diagnosed with mm between 2010 and 2014 were identified through the provincial cancer registry. Plain radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging were reviewed to detect and document the type of spd. Data related to rt and systemic therapy were collected. Kaplan-Meier and time-varying Cox regression models were used to describe overall survival.

Results

Of 306 identified patients with newly diagnosed mm, 51% had spd, including 17% with lytic disease, 68% with compression fractures, and 15% with spinal cord compression. Of the patients with spd, 61% received spinal rt. Of those patients, 84% received spinal rt within 3 months after their diagnosis. Median dose was 20 Gy. Most patients (89.2%) received chemotherapy, and 22.5% underwent autologous stem-cell transplantation. Only 6 of the patients treated with spinal rt received re-irradiation to the same site. Overall survival was similar for patients with and without spd. On multivariate analysis, spinal rt had no effect on survival.

Conclusions

In patients newly diagnosed with mm, spd is a common presentation. With current systemic therapy, the presence of spd had no adverse effect on overall survival. The effect of spinal rt on overall survival was nonsignificant.

The role of initial 18F-FDG PET/CT in the management of patients with suspected extramedullary plasmocytoma

Background

Extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a plasma cell malignancy that originates in soft tissues without evidence of systemic spread, and its management differs from other plasma cell neoplasms. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the role of initial ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT in the management of patients with clinical suspected EMP.

Methods

¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scans performed in 21 patients (M/F = 12/9, mean age 51.1 ± 15.3 years) with clear suspicion of EMP from 2006 to 2015 were analysed retrospectively. The detection of new lesions and the change in treatment were evaluated.

Results

PET/CT detected new lesions in 38.1% (8/21) of patients with 17 lesions, and lymph nodes were the most common site, accounting for 70.6% (12/17) of all lesions, followed by bone (n = 2), and less frequently, breast (n = 1), lung (n = 1), and stomach (n = 1). These findings resulted in treatment changes in 7 patients with EMP. Among these, 4 patients had major treatment changes and 3 patients had minor changes. Of the 21 patients, progression to MM was observed in 8 patients (8/21, 38.1%). In univariate analysis, tumour size > 4 cm and partial response (PR) after treatment were significant prognostic factors for Progression-free survival (PFS).

Conclusions

Our data indicated that ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT is helpful in the detection of additional lesions throughout the body, including lymph node involvement and distant additional lesion, which may have resulted in treatment change.

Stability of Spinal Bone Lesions in Patients With Multiple Myeloma After Radiotherapy-A Retrospective Analysis of 130 Cases

BACKGROUND

The objective of the present retrospective analysis was the response evaluation regarding bone density and stability of patients with osteolytic spinal bone lesions due to multiple myeloma after palliative radiotherapy (RT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with multiple myeloma who had undergone spinal RT from March 2003 to May 2016 were analyzed before and 3 and 6 months after RT. Assessment of spinal stability and bone density was performed using the internationally recognized Taneichi scoring system and measurement of bone density using computed tomography imaging-based Hounsfield units. For statistical analysis, we used the Bowker test, McNemar test, and κ statistics to detect possible asymmetries in the distribution of the Taneichi score over time. We used the Student t test for comparison of the density values (Hounsfield units) before and after treatment. Toxicity was evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0. Additionally, overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

We evaluated 130 patients (69% male; 31% female) with multiple myeloma and a median age of 58 years. The median follow-up period was 41 months. Before treatment, 51% of the lesions were classified as unstable. At 3 and 6 months after RT, this rate had decreased to 41% (P = .0047) and 24% (P = .2393), respectively. The computed tomography measurements showed a significant increase in bone density at 3 and 6 months after RT. Acute RT-related grade 1 and 2 complications were detected in 34% of patients. Late side effects (grade 1-2) were detected in 23% of the patients. No severe grade 3 or 4 acute or late toxicities were identified. The median overall survival was 19.7 months for all patients and 6.6 months for patients with a Karnofsky performance score of ≤ 70%.

CONCLUSION

To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first report to analyze the bone density and stability in patients with multiple myeloma after RT using a validated scoring system and computed tomography imaging. Palliative RT is an effective method resulting in a significant increase in bone density for local response and stability without severe RT-related toxicity. Furthermore, recalcification could already be detected at 3 months after treatment.

Metastatic Intracerebral Plasmacytoma Treated with Radiation and Thalidomide, Dexamethasone with Cyclophosphamide Chemotherapy

Intracerebral plasmacytoma is an extremely rare disease for which no treatment protocol has been established. The authors present a case of metastatic intracerebral plasmacytoma that was partially resected and treated with radiation therapy. For tumor recurrence, a combination chemotherapy regimen was initiated. A 48-year-old male patient presented with dizziness and memory loss. Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed a multilobulated mass with enhancing cystic and solid components measuring 7 × 7 × 6 cm in the left frontal lobe. The patient had undergone subtotal gastrectomy and transverse colectomy 8 years before admission and had been diagnosed with extraosseous plasmacytoma. At the time of the current presentation, the patient underwent craniotomy for the parenchymal lesion. Partial tumor resection was performed. Histologic and immunohistochemical examinations confirmed the diagnosis of plasmacytoma. Fractionated radiotherapy was administered, and no enhancing mass was observed on follow-up MRI. One year after radiotherapy, tumor recurrence was observed in a different area of the cerebral parenchyma. Combination thalidomide, dexamethasone, and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy was administered. After three cycles of chemotherapy, the tumor was well controlled on MRI. Hereafter, two more times of tumor recurrence occurred in the other sites of the cerebral parenchyma, but with chemoradiation therapy, the tumor was well suppressed. The findings of this case suggest that the cerebral parenchyma can be one of the metastatic sites for extraosseous plasmacytoma. In addition, combination chemotherapy with thalidomide, dexamethasone, and cyclophosphamide may be a useful treatment option for intracerebral plasmacytoma.

Long-term outcome of patients with solitary plasmacytoma treated with radiotherapy: A population-based, single-center study with median follow-up of 13.7 years

In this single-center, population-based, and retrospective study, we analyzed the outcome of 49 patients with solitary bone plasmacytoma (SBP) and 28 patients with solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma (SEP), all treated with radiotherapy. Laminectomy was performed in 18/30 SBP patients with vertebral involvement and tumour resection in 10 SEP patients. Overall survival and cause of death for each patient were compared to 5 sex-, age-, and residency-matched individuals from the normal population. Response (complete and partial) was achieved in 94% of SBP and 96% of SEP patients. Relapse rates were higher in SBP (65%) compared to patients with SEP (18%) (P < .01). Only one in-field relapse was identified for the whole series. Ten- and 15-year overall survival, progression free survival (PFS) and multiple myeloma free survival (MMFS) for patients with SBP were 60%/41%, 25%/17%, and 33%/33%. Corresponding values for patients with SEP were 67%/54%, 57%/44%, and 91%/91%. SBP patients had significantly shorter PFS and MMFS compared to SEP patients (P < .01 for both). Only two of the SEP patients developed multiple myeloma and no patient in the whole series progressed to multiple myeloma later than 10 years after diagnosis. Unlike for SEP, the major cause of death among SBP patients was multiple myeloma (49%). Compared to matched normal population, no increased risk of death from secondary malignancies or cardiovascular disease was observed. Positive predictors in SBP patients were for overall survival age <60 years, combined laminectomy and radiotherapy and radiotherapy dose >40 gray, for PFS tumour size <6 cm and combined laminectomy and radiotherapy and for MMFS tumour size <6 cm. Radiotherapy confers excellent local control in both SEP and SBP patients; however, the challenge is to prevent development of multiple myeloma in patients with SBP.

Current role of radiation therapy for multiple myeloma

Background: Radiation therapy (RT) is a treatment modality traditionally used in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), but little is known regarding the role and effectiveness of RT in the era of novel agents, i.e., immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data from 449 consecutive MM patients seen at our institute in 2010–2012 to assess indications for RT as well as its effectiveness. Pain response was scored similarly to RTOG 0631 and used the Numerical Rating Pain Scale.

Results: Among 442 evaluable patients, 149 (34%) patients and 262 sites received RT. The most common indication for RT was palliation of bone pain (n = 109, 42%), followed by prevention/treatment of pathological fractures (n = 73, 28%), spinal cord compression (n = 26, 10%), and involvement of vital organs/extramedullary disease (n = 25, 10%). Of the 55 patients evaluable for pain relief, complete and partial responses were obtained in 76.4 and 7.2%, respectively. Prior RT did not significantly decrease the median number of peripheral blood stem cells collected for autologous transplant, even when prior RT was given to both the spine and pelvis. Inadequacy of stem cell collection for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) was not significantly different and it occurred in 9 and 15% of patients receiving no RT and spine/pelvic RT, respectively. None of the three cases of therapy-induced acute myelogenous leukemia/MDS occurred in the RT group.

Conclusion: Despite the introduction of novel effective agents in the treatment of MM, RT remains a major therapeutic component for the management in 34% of patients, and it effectively provides pain relief while not interfering with successful peripheral blood stem cell collection for ASCT.

A case of disseminated recurrent retroperitoneal plasmacytoma with left obstructive hydronephrosis

Retroperitoneal extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) is a rare condition that often poses a diagnostic challenge. This is mainly due to its unusual location and non-specific symptoms especially in its early stages. Retroperitoneal plasmacytoma with renal involvement is an extremely rare entity and to date, less than 25 cases have been reported in the literature. We describe a case of a 65-year-old woman with primary retroperitoneal plasmacytoma, confirmed by ultrasound-guided biopsy and histopathological examination, with unilateral left obstructive hydronephrosis and metastasis to the lungs. Our patient was started on chemotherapy to which she did not respond. Subsequently, she resorted to palliative measures. Our case highlights key aspects of clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment options available for management of retroperitoneal plasmacytoma.

Renal plasmacytoma: Report of a rare case and review of the literature

Renal plasmacytoma is extremely rare, presenting diagnostic challenges due to its unusual location and non-specific or absent symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, only 24 cases of renal plasmacytoma have been reported in the literature. The present study reports a case of primary renal plasmacytoma in a 46-year-old female patient. Computed tomography (CT) revealed that the mass was located in the lower pole of the left kidney and metastasis was detected in an enlarged para-aortic lymph node. Following careful preparation, a partial nephrectomy was performed and the retroperitoneal lymph node was resected. A pathological examination revealed a renal parenchyma with lymph node involvement; this was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Consequently, a diagnosis of a renal extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) was proposed. Following this unexpected diagnosis, various examinations were performed, but there was no evidence of systemic plasma cell disease. The patient refused further therapy, including external beam radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Abdominal CT was performed three months post-surgery and did not reveal any relapse. The patient remains disease-free at nine months post-surgery. The current study also presents a review of the literature. Although the general prognosis and outcome of EMP is good, a follow-up examination is recommended due to the possibility of relapse or progression to plasma cell neoplasm (PCN).

[Percutaneous Image-guided cryoablation for localized bone plasmacytoma treatment]

Bone plasmacytoma (BP) occurs in most patients with multiple myeloma and is highly disabling. Radiotherapy is the primary treatment modality for BP and, although local control rates are excellent, several weeks are needed before the treatment is completed and for patients to note significant pain relief. Over the past decade, percutaneous image-guided cryoablation has emerged as a safe and effective alternative in the management of localized bone metastasis in solid tumours. In this report the author's show that a localized BP was successfully treated using this procedure. Furthermore, some of the most relevant potential advantages that makes this procedure more attractive than other alternative techniques are highlighted.