[Survival after radiofrequency ablation for 100 cases of lung neoplasms]

Surgical resection is the preferred treatment in selected patients with pulmonary neoplasms. In older than 70 years or have compromised cardiopulmonary status or coexistent medical problems patients, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) may offer an alternative option. The aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effects after RFA in 100 patients with pulmonary neoplasms.

One hundred cases of unresectable lung tumors with 106 lesions were underwent RFA therapy. To evaluate the therapeutic effect and complications of lung tumors using spiral CT scanning and SPECT in 1-3 months after RFA.

One hundred patients underwent RFA for lung neoplasms (62 men, 38 women; median age, 66.6 years; range, 36 to 91 years). Eighty-six patients with primary lung neoplasms and 14 patients with pulmonary metastases underwent RFA. Treatment was complete in all cases, no treatment-related deaths occurred in all of the 100 patients and serious morbidity associated with the procedures. The median overall survival for the entire group of patients was 13.0 months, the one and two years overall survival for total of were 51% and 32.5% respectively. No differences in overall survival noted between patients with primary and metastases lung neoplasms (P=0.922). The median overall survival for the early stage of patients was 28.0 months, 2-year overall survival for early stage primary lung cancer patients were 57.7%.

RFA is a safe and effective procedure in selective lung tumors. CT-guided radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatment option. RFA could act as an alternative treatment to inoperable lung cancer.