射频消融术能够减轻无法手术肺癌患者的症状

2004年10月份《美国X光学期刊》（the American Journal of Roentgenology）上报道的两项研究证实：在CT（计算机X线断层摄影术）引导下进行射频消融术治疗那些无法接受手术治疗的肺癌患者，能够有效地减轻他们的临床症状，CT随访检查还证实射频消融术治疗成功的改变了肿瘤大小。

在第一项研究中，意大利南Sebastiano医院（S. Sebastiano Hospital，Caserta，Italy）的研究人员分析了33例恶性肺癌患者的资料，这些患者无法手术而是选择了CT引导的射频消融术进行治疗。这些患者没有发生重大的并发症，经CT随访检查看起来治疗都比较成功。第一作者Guiseppe Belfiore医学博士在论文中指出：“进行该项研究是临床上迫切需要为肺癌常规治疗寻找一种替代治疗方法。我们看到太多的肺癌患者，由于各种原因他们无法进行手术治疗，而能够减轻症状的方法却少之又少。而十分肯定的是，射频消融术能够有效改善无法手术治疗患者的生命质量。”

在第二项研究中，韩国国立大学医院（National University Hospital，Chonbuk，South Korea）的研究人员明确了肿瘤进展的模式：肿瘤与周围组织的不同是，在判断CT引导的射频消融术治疗肺癌时，肿瘤体积大小的改变是治疗成功与否最重要的因素。他们分析了21例接受CT引导的射频消融术患者的资料：其中9例接受完全消融术，12例接受部分消融术。研究者发现：在完全消融术组，短期CT随访发现肿瘤没有任何进展的迹象，12个月之后肿瘤体积减小了40％；而在部分消融术组，短期内肿瘤均有不同程度进展，在6个月之后肿瘤体积增大。

RFA Eases Symptoms of Inoperable Lung Cancer

A pair of studies has shown that radiofrequency ablation (RFA), guided by computed tomography (CT), is effective in easing the symptoms of inoperable lung cancer, while changes in the size of the tumor as shown on CT determines whether that ablation was successful.

Researchers from S. Sebastiano Hospital (Caserta, Italy) analyzed 33 patients with malignant lung cancer who could not undergo surgery and opted for CT-guided RFA instead. No major complications occurred and all sessions were deemed successful at follow-up CT.

The study was prompted by the feeling that an alternative to the usual therapies for lung cancer was strongly needed. “We see too many lung cancer patients who, inoperable for a number of different reasons, are left with few chances to obtain an effective palliation,” noted lead author Guiseppe Belfiore, M.D. “For sure, RFA allows a better quality of life for many inoperable patients.”

In the second study, researchers from National University Hospital (Chonbuk, South Korea) determined that pattern enhancement--a difference in contrast between a tumor and the surrounding tissue--and changes in tumor size were the most important factors in judging the success of RFA for lung tumors on CT. They analyzed 21 patients who had undergone CT-guided RF, nine who had complete ablations and 12 who had partial ablations. For the former group, the researchers found tumors were without any enhancement on short-term follow-up CT and that the size of the lesions had decreased by 40% after 12 months. For the partially ablated group, the tumors were enhanced to various degrees short-term and the tumor size had increased after six months.

The studies were published in the October 2004 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.