Thermal ablation of painful bone metastases

Skeletal metastases are common in patients with advanced cancer. Although cancer pain can be complex, bone pain is one of the most common types of pain in oncology patients. Pain from skeletal metastases can be debilitating and result in significant morbidity and mortality. Although conventional therapies such as narcotic medication and radiation therapy remain the standard of care, many patients experience suboptimal and limited relief. Image-guided thermal ablation of bone metastases provides a minimally invasive alternative for pain palliation. This article reviews the use of radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation in the treatment of painful bone metastases.