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Updated: Nov 2, 2025
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
Pain relief and local tumour control following percutaneous image-guided cryoablation for spine metastasis: a 12-year
P-A Autrusseau1, R L Cazzato1, P De Marini1
1Service d'Imagerie Interventionnelle, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, 1, Place de l'hopital, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
Aim:
To assess pain relief and local tumour control retrospectively in spinal metastases undergoing cryoablation.
Materials And Methods:
Between May 2008 and September 2020, 46 metastases in 41 consecutive patients (mean age 59.7±4.4 [SD] years; range 27-84) were treated with cryoablation in 42 interventional sessions. Patient demographics, procedural data, complications, pain, and local tumour control were analysed retrospectively.
Results:
Thirty-one patients (36 spine metastases; 32 sessions) were treated for pain relief and 10 (10 metastases; 10 sessions) for local tumour control. Clinical success was reached in 30/32 (93.8%) interventional palliative sessions. Mean pre-procedural numerical pain rate scale was 6.2±1.7 (SD), and dropped significantly to 3.5±1.8 (SD), 1.9±1.7 (SD), and 1.9±1.8 (SD) at 24-h, 1-month and at the last available follow-up (median 16.5±23.2 [SD] months), respectively. For patients requiring local tumour control, primary clinical success was reached in 6/10 (60%) spinal metastases at median 25-months follow-up. The overall complication rate was 8%, with no secondary fractures or iatrogenic thermal-mediated nerve injuries reported.
Conclusion:
Percutaneous image-guided cryoablation of spinal metastases is safe and effective in achieving pain relief and local tumour control.
