Radiofrequency ablation for cancer-associated pain

Abstract

Many treatment options are available for the management of cancer pain including drugs, local excision, radiation, brachytherapy, and nerve blocks. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation has been used to treat painful neurologic and bone lesions and thus could potentially be used to treat cancer pain in other sites. Two superficial subcutaneous metastatic nodules were treated with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. The patient received significant pain relief and improved quality of life.

Figure 1

Pretreatment pelvis CT scan after intravenous contrast administration shows enhancing superficial mass (white arrow). Incidental note is made of the deep venous thrombosis in the common femoral vein (black arrow).

Figure 2

Postablation pelvis CT scan after intravenous contrast administration demonstrates loss of contrast enhancement, consistent with coagulation necrosis. Note barely perceptible thin line of enhancement, which could represent incompletely treated tumor or post-treatment inflammatory response (arrow).