The Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation Therapy in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Tumors

Junsung Koo and So Hak Chung

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Korea

^*Correspondance to: So Hak Chung 

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Abstract:

Background: Some musculoskeletal tumors cause severe pain and reduce the quality of life of patients. Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) is thought to be a promising minimally invasive treatment option for painful musculoskeletal lesions. RFA may be beneficial to patients who are unable to undergo surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy or who exhibit ineffective treatment results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of RFA in the treatment of musculoskeletal tumors. Methods: Between April 2007 and October 2017, 43 patients with musculoskeletal tumors underwent percutaneous RFA. The median age of the patients was 59 years (range: 31 to 75 years) and the median follow-up duration was 67.2 months (range: 10.2 to 130.5 months). Of the 43 patients, 26 were male and 17 were female. Overall, 34 of the patients had metastatic bone tumors, 5 had chordomas, 3 had osteosarcoma, and 1 had a giant cell tumor. The pain levels and functional ability of the patients were evaluated using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) functional scoring system, respectively. Scores were recorded preoperatively and 1 and 4 weeks postoperatively. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the outcomes over time and calculate the 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year survival rates. Results: The mean VAS scores of all patients; Pre-OP, 1 week, and 4 weeks were 8.21, 3.91, and 3.67, respectively. The mean preoperative MSTS score was 64.0% (range: 32% to 87%). The mean postoperative MSTS score was 71.0% (range: 40% to 90%). The median survival time was 20 months. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the survival rates at 1, 2, and 5 years were 95.3%, 69.8%, and 30.2%, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, RFA was shown to be effective in decreasing the pain levels and increasing the functional ability of patients with musculoskeletal tumors.

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Cite the Article:

Koo J, Chung SH. The Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation Therapy in the Treatment of Musculoskeletal Tumors. Clin Oncol. 2020; 5: 1727.