Minimally invasive therapy destroys kidney cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with kidney cancer who are poor candidates for surgery can be treated using a less invasive alternative, according to a study conducted at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The technique uses small needles to deliver focused thermal energy that effectively destroys small renal cell carcinomas, the most common type of kidney cancer, researchers report in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Radiofrequency energy is used to heat and destroy (ablate) abnormal tissue. The energy can be delivered through small electrodes that are placed through the skin and then guided into the tumor using CT scan images.

Dr. Ronald J. Zagoria and his associates note that existing reports on radiofrequency ablation for renal cell carcinomas are restricted to small series of patients with short follow-up intervals.

To provide a better picture of the procedure's safety and effectiveness, Zagoria's team reports the results of radiofrequency ablation in a consecutive series of 104 patients with small renal cell carcinomas treated between 2000 and 2006. The patients' average age was 70.4 years, and average follow-up was 13.8 months.

The procedure was conducted on an outpatient basis, using sedation and local anesthesia. Tumors that were less than 1.5 inches in diameter were completely destroyed. The likelihood of complete tumor removal fell as tumor size exceeded this threshold.

Complications from the procedure were uncommon and usually minor. None of the complications resulted in long-term problems.

Surgery remains the standard therapy for renal cell carcinomas, Zagoria and his associates emphasize. Radiofrequency ablation should be considered for patients who are likely to experience complications with surgery.

SOURCE: American Journal of Roentgenology, August 2007.