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Updated: Apr 28, 2026
Use of Electromagnetic Navigational Transthoracic Needle Aspiration E-TTNA for Sampling of Lung Nodules
Published on: May 23, 2015
Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of lung cancer presenting as ground-glass opacity
Toshihiro Iguchi1, Takao Hiraki, Hideo Gobara
1Department of Radiology, Okayama University Medical School, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan, iguchi@ba2.so-net.ne.jp.
Purpose:
We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of lung cancer patients presenting with ground-glass opacity (GGO) who received radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
Methods:
Sixteen patients (5 men and 11 women; mean age, 72.6 years) with 17 lung cancer lesions showing GGO (mean long axis diameter, 1.6 cm) underwent a total of 20 percutaneous computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopy-guided RFA sessions, including three repeated sessions for local progression. Lung cancer with GGO was defined as a histologically confirmed malignant pulmonary lesion with a GGO component accounting for >50 % of the lesion on high-resolution CT. Procedure outcomes were evaluated.
Results:
There were no major complications. Pneumothorax occurred in 15 of 20 treatment sessions: 14 were asymptomatic, and 1 required chest tube placement but resolved satisfactorily within 48 h. Minor pulmonary hemorrhage occurred in two and mild pneumonitis in one. The median tumor follow-up period was 61.5 (range 6.1-96.6) months. The effectiveness rates of the primary and secondary techniques were 100 and 100 % at 1 year, 93.3 and 100 % at 2 years, and 78.3 and 92.3 % at 3 years, respectively. The median patient follow-up period was 65.6 (range 6.1-96.6) months. One patient died owing to recurrent other cancer 11.7 months after RFA, whereas the other 15 remained alive. Overall survival and disease-specific survival rates were 93.3 and 100 % at 1 year and 93.3 and 100 % at 5 years, respectively.
Conclusions:
RFA for lung cancer with GGO was safe and effective, and resulted in promising survival rates.
