Study shows the safety and efficacy of percutaneous thermal ablation for the treatment of metastatic gynecologic cancers

Results

A new study by researchers at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, found using percutaneous image-guided needle thermal ablation – the precise application of extreme heat or cold to a tumor using ultrasound, CT scan or sophisticated MRI in one outpatient session – is a safe and effective adjunct therapy for the local control of metastatic gynecologic cancers in the lungs, liver, soft tissue of the abdomen, pelvis and bones in patients with advanced localized cancers unresponsive to systemic therapy.

Almost 96% of the patients in the study achieved a complete tumor response over a median follow-up period of 10 months. The overall survival rate was 37.5 months and the progression-free survival rate, the length of time their disease is controlled, was 16.5 months. Less than 5% of patients experienced major side effects.

Context

Metastatic gynecologic cancers, including ovarian, endometrial, or uterine and cervical cancers, are often aggressive tumors with low survival rates. Patients diagnosed with these cancers often undergo extensive and multiple surgeries as part of standard treatment. However, surgery can be invasive and is not always feasible for advanced cancer patients with localized non-reactive tumors or patients who are not traditional surgical or radiologic candidates.

Another option under study is thermal ablation, which is a minimally invasive, image-guided needle-based approach that provides very precise and precise spot treatment only to cancer cells while minimizing the effects on tissue. surrounding areas. Thermal ablation was a pioneer in liver, lung and kidney cancer, but is currently being investigated for use in the treatment of other cancers, including prostate and gynecologic cancers. The other advantages of thermal ablation are that it is an outpatient procedure, performed with minimal sedation with lower risk and lower cost, in combination with systemic therapies, compared to traditional surgery or radiotherapy.

Method

For the study, Steven Raman, MD, professor of radiology, urology, and surgery and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, led a multidisciplinary team of medical experts to demonstrate the high safety and efficacy of the Percutaneous thermal ablation to target localized metastatic gynecology. malignant tumors. The study group included 42 women, aged 25 to 78 years, with metastatic gynecologic tumors (119 metastatic tumors) treated by radiofrequency (47 tumors), microwave (47 tumors) or cryogenic ablation (30 tumors) from more than 2,800 ablations performed from January 2001 to January 2019.

Impact

This is the first and largest study to show that thermal ablation using an image-guided needle is a safe and effective approach for patients with metastatic gynecologic cancers localized throughout the body. , especially for those who cannot undergo additional surgery due to a declining health condition or in previously radiated areas.