Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for palliative treatment of painful non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) rib metastasis: Experience in 12 patients

Percutaneous Image-Guided Ablation of Lung Tumors

Tumors of the lung, including primary cancer and metastases, are notoriously common and difficult to treat. Although surgical resection of lung lesions is often indicated, many conditions disqualify patients from being surgical candidates. Percutaneous image-guided lung ablation is a relatively new set of techniques that offers a promising treatment option for a variety of lung tumors. Although there have been no clinical trials to definitively compare its efficacy to those of traditional treatments, lung ablation is widely practiced and generally accepted to be safe and effective. Especially encouraging results have recently emerged for cryoablation, one of the newer ablative techniques. This article reviews the indications, techniques, contraindications, and complications of percutaneous image-guided ablation of lung tumors with special attention to cryoablation and its recent developments in protocol optimization.

The clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation for rib metastases with severe intractable pain: a preliminary clinical study

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (US-PMWA) for patients with rib metastases that caused severe intractable pain.

Materials and methods: From Jan 2016 to Apr 2018, 9 rib metastases from 7 solid tumor patients were treated with US-PMWA. The visual analogue scale (VAS), daily opiate intake doses, local tumor control and complications were recorded and analyzed.

Results: The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 33 months (median: 16 months). The procedures were successfully performed in all of the patients by one ablation. The ablation power ranged from 30 to 60 W, and the ablation time was 610.0±317.5 s. The mean preablation VAS pain score was 8.1±0.7, whereas the mean VAS pain score at 72 h postablation was 3.3±0.5 (P<0.001). All of the patients needed to apply oral and/or intravenous injection opiates to relieve severe intractable pain before ablation, with daily opiate intake doses of 61.4±30.8 mg. After ablation, five patients did not need to apply any opiate treatments 72 h after ablation, and only two patients needed oral opiates (daily opiate intake doses: 30 mg and 20 mg). Recurrence was detected in three lesions at 6, 11 and 9 months after ablation, with the maximum diameter observed being more than 4 cm. All of the patients were alive during the follow-up period. No minor or major complications occurred.

Conclusion: US-PMWA appears to be feasible, convenient, safe and effective in the palliative management of refractory pain caused by rib metastases. This treatment can improve the quality of life of patients and may also achieve promising local control of tumors.

Clinical assessment of computed tomography guided radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of inoperable patients with pulmonary tumors

Background

To enhance our understanding of the feasibility, effectiveness, safety and quality of life (QoL) of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for inoperable patients with pulmonary tumors.

Methods

The data of 88 patients with pulmonary tumors undergoing RFA were collected. Proof of malignancy was obtained by biopsy in all patients. Diagnoses included non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in 74 patients and pulmonary metastases in 14 patients. Patients underwent computed tomography (CT)-guided RFA according to standard protocol and had a 2-year follow-up. Results assessment included feasibility (correct placement of the ablation probe into all targeted tumors), effectiveness (overall survival rate and local control rate), safety (treatment-related complication and changes in pulmonary function) and QoL.

Results

One hundred and thirty-four RFAs were successfully conducted in 88 patients with 96 nodules. Correct placement of ablation probe into targeted tumors with completion of the planned treatment protocol was feasible in all 88 (100%) patients and no procedure-related deaths occurred. Major complication rate was 4.5% (4/88), which consisted of symptomatic pneumothorax (2/88) and high fever (2/88). No significant worsening of pulmonary function was observed. Tumors shrank obviously at 6 months after RFA with a statistically significance (P<0.001).The overall survival rate in 6 months, 1 year and 2 years were 100%, 95.5% and 70.5%, respectively while the local control rate in 6 months, 1 year and 2 years were 92.1%, 87.5% and 51.1% respectively. There was no significant difference of overall survival rate and local control rate between NSCLC and metastatic carcinoma. No significant worsening of QoL was observed.

Conclusions

CT-guided RFA is a feasible, effective and safe therapy for inoperable patients with pulmonary tumors. However, RFA could not obviously improve the QoL in the patients with pulmonary tumors. More prospective studies comparing RFA with standard non-surgical treatment options were needed.

Integrated Palliative Care and Oncologic Care in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

OPINION STATEMENT

Palliative care integrated into standard medical oncologic care will transform the way we approach and practice oncologic care. Integration of appropriate components of palliative care into oncologic treatment using a pathway-based approach will be described in this review. Care pathways build on disease status (early, locally advanced, advanced) as well as patient and family needs. This allows for an individualized approach to care and is the best means for proactive screening, assessment, and intervention, to ensure that all palliative care needs are met throughout the continuum of care. Components of palliative care that will be discussed include assessment of physical symptoms, psychosocial distress, and spiritual distress. Specific components of these should be integrated based on disease trajectory, as well as clinical assessment. Palliative care should also include family and caregiver education, training, and support, from diagnosis through survivorship and end of life. Effective integration of palliative care interventions have the potential to impact quality of life and longevity for patients, as well as improve caregiver outcomes.

Features and Role of Minimally Invasive Palliative Procedures for Pain Management in Malignant Pelvic Diseases: A Review

Pain is a common and debilitating symptom in pelvic cancer diseases. Failure in controlling this pain through pharmacological approaches calls for employing multimodal management and invasive techniques. Various strategies are commonly used for this purpose, including palliative radiotherapy, epidural medications and intrathecal administration of analgesic and local anesthetic drugs with pumps, and neural or plexus blockade. This review focuses on the features of minimally invasive palliative procedures (MIPPs), such as radiofrequency ablation, laser-induced thermotherapy, cryoablation, irreversible electroporation, electrochemotherapy, microwave ablation, and cementoplasty as well as their role in palliation of cancer pelvic pain. Despite the evidence of effectiveness and safety of these interventions, there are still many barriers to accessing MIPPs, including the availability of trained staff, the lack of precise criteria of indication, and the high costs.