Radiofrequency thermal ablation in the treatment of lung malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an advanced, minimally invasive technique used to treat several types of neoplasm. Its application in the treatment of lung tumors has received great interest. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-four patients with 10 unresectable primary lung tumors and 83 lung metastases from various solid tumors were treated with percutaneous RFA. RESULTS: The procedure was performed under CT scan guidance and general anaesthesia. The rate of complete necrosis of the treated neoplasms was 95%, while the most frequent complication was pneumothorax, requiring pleural drainage in 12% of sessions. CT scan and MRI with gadolinium have shown to be accurate and useful in assessing the therapeutic efficacy of lung RFA. CONCLUSION: Lung RFA is a very promising technique, minimally invasive and well-tolerated in the majority of patients; further investigation is required in order to define the optimal role of lung RFA in the multidisciplinary therapy of lung malignancies.