RFA- has anyone had it or heard about it?

[carls]

I have read all the postings about RFA under the 'good news' message board. It seems like a possibiltiy for my father. However, he has brain mets and I am wodering if anyone has brain mets and has had success with this procedure? If so where did you have it done? what doctor performed the procedure?

[Ry]

There are many doctors that perform RFA. We recently checked into it for my MIL but she decided on standard radiation due to the cost (her insurence did not cover it). Do a search on here or google it and you will get lots of info. I am not sure on the brain mets question.

[richinsdakota]

I researched RFA before my surgery, but dont recall seeing anthing about treating the brain with it. Lung, liver, and soft tissue of various kinds they do treat with it, tho.

I called Amer. cancer society, they said it was still experimental, so they couldnt recomend it over other treatments, etc. Turned out, I wouldnt have been a good candidate, as tumor was pressing on major blood vessel in lung.

Im sure theres a lot of info on it here, or on net. search for Radio Frequency Ablation, should get lot of info. Good luck...Rich B.

It definitely is a minimally invasive procedure, much like a needle biopsy, preferable to major surgery I had. But again, dunno about brain met treatment.

[Debaroo]

I could be wrong, but from what I found out when my dad had brain mets two years ago, RFA would be used on soft tissue mets (ie. liver mets). My dad had Gamma Knife for his brain mets. I posted a long, detailed post about it a long time ago-it is a very specific procedure, directs high doses of radiation to the mets themselves, leaves the healthy brain tissue undamaged, limited side effects.

My dads procedure was very successful.

The tumors are killed on the spot, then they are reabsorbed back into the brain at the same rate at which they grew.

My dad was very happy with the procedure, and his insurance covered it 100%.

It is becoming more and more available, I would ask the onc. about it, maybe they could refer you to a neurologist that does it, it is usually in a hospital, because the equipment is so large, and you need a neurosurgeon, radiologist and, believe it or not, a nuclear physisist to map out each procedure. My dads neurosurgeon said that they can do up to 4 or even 5 mets at a time (each is done individually, but during ONE session), and have done mets up to the size of, if I remember correctly 4 cm.

If the mets are the right shape, not wrapping or winding in the brain, the position dosn't matter as far as where they are in the brain.

If they are too big, they may even suggest traditional radiation to shrink them and THEN do Gamma Knife.

Also, they ususally reccomend Whole brain radiation (WBR) after the procedure, to help break the blood-brain barrior that the brain develops to protect itself from the chemo-then the chemo would be able to do its job on the brain, too.

Hope this was of some help. Take care, Deb

ps. You can try a search on Yahoo or something punch in Gamma Knife-and maybe your state even, to get a list of places that offer the procedure.