Radiofrequency Ablation for the Palliative Treatment of Bone Metastases: Outcomes from the Multicenter OsteoCool Tumor Ablation Post-Market Study (OPuS One Study) in 100 Patients.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of radiofrequency (RF) ablation as measured by change in worst pain score from baseline to 3 mo after RF ablation for the palliative treatment of painful bone metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred patients (mean age, 64.6 y) underwent RF ablation for metastatic bone disease and were followed up to 6 mo. Subjects' pain and quality of life were measured before RF ablation and postoperatively by using the Brief Pain Index and European Quality of Life questionnaires. Opioid agent use and device-, procedure-, and/or therapy-related adverse events (AEs) were collected. RESULTS: Eighty-seven patients were treated for tumors involving the thoracolumbar spine and 13 for tumors located in the pelvis and/or sacrum. All ablations were technically successful, and 97% were followed by cementoplasty. Mean worst pain score decreased from 8.2 ± 1.7 at baseline to 3.5 ± 3.2 at 6 mo (n = 22; P < 0.0001 for all visits). Subjects experienced significant improvement for all visits in average pain (P < .0001), pain interference (P < .0001), and quality of life (P < .003). Four AEs were reported, of which 2 resulted in hospitalization for pneumonia and respiratory failure. All 30 deaths reported during the study were attributed to the underlying malignancy and not related to the study procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this study show rapid (within 3 d) and statistically significant pain improvement with sustained long-term relief through 6 mo in patients treated with RF ablation for metastatic bone disease.

Radiofrequency Ablation Provides Rapid and Durable Pain Relief for the Palliative Treatment of Lytic Bone Metastases Independent of Radiation Therapy: Final Results from the OsteoCool Tumor Ablation Post-Market Study.

PURPOSE: The OsteoCool Tumor Ablation Post-Market Study (OPuS One) was a prospective, multi-national, single-arm study to investigate safety and effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for palliation of painful lytic bone metastases with 12 months of follow-up. RFA has demonstrated effective palliation of osseous metastases in small clinical studies with short-term follow-up; however, a long-term assessment with robust subject numbers is lacking. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective assessments were conducted at Baseline, 3 days, 1 week, and 1, 3, 6, and 12-months. Pain and quality of life were measured prior to RFA and postoperatively using the Brief Pain Inventory, European Quality of Life-5 Dimension, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Care Quality of Life Questionnaire for palliative care. Radiation, chemotherapy and opioid usage, and related adverse events were collected. RESULTS: 206 subjects were treated with RFA at 15 institutions in OPuS One. Worst pain, average pain, pain interference and quality of life significantly improved at all visits starting 3 days post-RFA and sustained to 12 months (P < 0.0001). Post hoc analysis found neither systemic chemotherapy nor local radiation therapy at the index site of RFA influenced worst pain, average pain, or pain interference. Six subjects had device/procedure-related adverse events. CONCLUSION: RFA for lytic metastases provides rapid (within 3 days) and statistically significant pain and quality of life improvements with sustained long-term relief through 12 months and a high degree of safety, independent of radiation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2B, PROSPECTIVE, NON-RANDOMIZED, POST-MARKET STUDY: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Clinical Approach to and Work-up of Bleeding Patients.

A bleeding patient is a common consult for interventional radiologists. Prompt triage, preprocedural evaluation specific to the site of hemorrhage, and knowledge of resuscitative strategies allow for a potentially life-saving procedure to be appropriately and safely performed. Having a firm understanding of the clinical work-up and management of a bleeding patient has never been more important. In this article, a discussion of the clinical approach and work-up of a bleeding patient for whom interventional radiology is consulted is followed by a discussion of etiology-specific preprocedural work-up.

Safety and feasibility of outpatient transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of performing image-guided bland embolization and chemoembolization as an outpatient-based procedure in selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of the authors' experience with outpatient embolization and chemoembolization from January 2005 to June 2006. Patients with nonresectable HCC not eligible for liver transplantation were enrolled. Patients with Child-Pugh class A and early class B liver disease were treated by using the outpatient protocol, patients with Child-Pugh class C and late class B liver disease and those with elevated bilirubin or creatinine levels were excluded and treated as inpatients or denied embolization therapy. One hundred thirty-three bland embolizations or chemoembolizations were performed in 77 patients on an outpatient basis during the study period. RESULTS: Patients were discharged home on the same day after 131 of the 133 procedures (99%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: +/-2%), in two cases (2%, 95% CI: +/-2%), patients were admitted the day of the procedure. In two of the 131 cases (2%, 95% CI: +/-2%), patients discharged home returned to the emergency department 1-6 days after the procedure. One hundred twenty-nine of the 133 cases (97%, 95% CI: +/-3%) were successfully treated by using the outpatient embolization or chemoembolization protocol, with subsequent hospitalization needed in only four of 133 cases (3%, 95% CI: +/-3%). CONCLUSIONS: Image-guided hepatic bland embolization and chemoembolization performed with an outpatient protocol in carefully selected patients with HCC with aggressive follow-up is safe, with relatively few complications and few requirements for admission or revisitation to the emergency department.

Managing Venous Thromboembolic Disease On-Call.

Managing venous thromboembolic disease on-call requires the interventional radiologist consider not only potential risk and benefit to the patient but also available resources in the IR suite as well as throughout the hospital, such as intensive care monitoring during treatment. We demonstrate how our practice manages these on-call cases ranging from deep venous thrombosis to acute pulmonary embolism and decide which patients need emergent treatment and which can undergo delayed intervention during working hours. In all cases, an adequate preprocedural clinical assessment is crucial.