Radio-frequency ablation, which has recently been shown effective in treating certain lung tumors, might be even more effective in the same population when combined with brachytherapy, according to Rhode Island researchers.
Few treatment options exist for lung cancer patients who cannot undergo surgery. Some may not even be able to tolerate external-beam radiation or chemotherapy. The combined RFA/brachytherapy approach seems fit for these patients, said principal investigator Dr. Sapna K. Jain, of the department of diagnostic imaging at Brown University.
RFA-induced tissue necrosis may boost the radioactive seeds' ability to control malignant cells. The study was published in the September issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Jain and colleagues treated three patients using the RFA/brachytherapy combination with a one to 12-month follow-up. They found that the procedure could provide local tumor eradication. They observed tumor shrinkage in the treated area of two patients during follow-up. The same patients also developed complications, such as hemoptysis and pneumothorax, but were managed successfully.
The combined strategy can be performed in an outpatient setting. Although brachytherapy is expensive, it is more cost-effective -- requiring only one application -- than conventional radiation beam therapy, which is delivered in multiple sessions.
The procedure is not risk-free. Interstitial brachytherapy may have complications, such as a fatal hemoptysis. For the patients in this study, though, the combined treatment approach proved safe.
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