Thermal Ablation/RFA

[Jon]

My Mom's Tumor is stable and smaller now but I want to try and get rid of all of it. I beleive she still isn't a "traditonal surgical candidate". So I'm looking for info on less invasive surgical treatment options. Does anyone have any experience/info with Thermal Ablation or RFA? Or any other options you can think of?

thanks

[angelofcharlie20]

Hi Jon,

My Father just had cyberknife to the liver. If you like you can PM me and I can look through my notes to see what non - invasive treatment options were.

Good luck,

Shirley

[icbn]

Jon, this link may be helpful.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=47575

Combine Radiofrequency ablation and regular radiation doubled the mean survival time of patients studied.

In my mind anyway you can reduce if not eliminate the tumor, the better the chance to stop the spread of the VEGF and EGF cancer cells from starting new tumors elsewhere.[/url]

[Ry]

My MIL was a candidate for the RFA and was considering going to the clinic in Alabama (Gulf Shores I believe). Due to her age and the cost she elected to do just radiation.

[richinsdakota]

Hi and welcome; There used to be a gal here named Terri (forget last name) who had had several RFA treatments for lung tumors , and swore by it. Havent seen her post for long time now, but u might do a search for RFA posts, using search function in upper right corner. Should be some of that old chatter still there, I would think.

Meantime, Ill look for an email she sent me once, try to pass it on to u, or post it here. Very informative. Ok..take care..Oh, heres that email:

My first RFA was in Mississippi by Dr. Patrick Sewell, the second was done in NJ by Dr. Joshua Brodkin. The tumor done the first time is still DEAD after almost 4 yrs. I can give you the locations that I know of for RFA & I consider it a best kept secret in cancer treatments. Most Dr.'s will not tell you about it or agree that it works, but talk to anyone who has had it & you will not find anyone that does not swear by it. It is done by an Interventional Radiologist & they are not out trying to sell themselves to patients, you have to seek them out.

I think the least invasive way to treat cancer is the best way, I have never taken chemo. I find the results lousy for LC & decided early on to treat it one tumor at a time. Dead tumors can not kill you & RFA makes a tumor dead.

Remember you did not get cancer overnight, so if it takes a few weeks to make decisions take the time. Do not let a Dr. talk you into anything that does not "feel" right.

Terri

End of email; remember, everyone is not a candidate for this...I had a tumor attached to a major pulmonary artery, so only option was removal of entire lung. Rich B.

[blaze100]

Hi Jon, I thought the Mayo Clinic was doing thermal ablation. I also found a pretty complete link below about current lc ablation . Hope this helps your Mom.

http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/ablation/

Barb

[blaze100]

Ahhhh Jon, here is the link from Mayo I was looking for.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/lung-cancer/index.html

[dchurchi]

Hi Jon,

Alan's medical oncologist spoke to us about RFA as a

course of treatment had Alan's last mass come out positive for cancer, which it did not.

I was able to find some informaiton about RFA on the following web site.

www.radiologyinfo.org I can not remember if I typed

in RFA or Radiofrequency Ablation in the search box.

I am just happy Alan's oncologist is aware of this

option and is willing to try it. I hope some of this

information helps.