Percutaneous Image-guided Radiofrequency Ablation of Renal Neoplasms: Seven-year Local Experience

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Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of image-guided radiofrequency ablation of renal neoplasms in our centre in Hong Kong. Methods: Records of all patients who underwent this procedure in our centre from February 2004 to March 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. The indications for non-surgical treatment, individual tumour characteristics, procedural details, complications, and follow-up results were evaluated. Results: Over the study period, seven renal tumours from seven patients were treated with radiofrequency ablation. The most common reasons for non-surgical treatment were comorbidities and anticoagulant-related bleeding diatheses. All the patients were male, and had a mean age of 70 (standard deviation, 10.6) years. Six tumours from six patients were included under the intention-to-cure group; five tumours in this group were small (≤3 cm) and exophytic, while one was large (>3 cm) and parenchymal. One patient with bilateral renal cell carcinomas was included for palliation of haematuria. His 11-cm locally advanced left renal cell carcinoma was ablated. In total, 10 sessions of radiofrequency ablation were performed. Four patients had a single ablation session and three underwent two ablation sessions. Technical success without major complication was achieved in all sessions. There was complete tumour eradication in the entire intention-to-cure group after one (n=4) to two (n=2) ablation sessions. In the patient receiving palliation, radiofrequency ablation transiently aborted his disabling haematuria. Conclusion: Percutaneous image-guided radiofrequency ablation can be a safe and highly effective treatment for small renal tumours in favourable positions. This technique could be regarded as a nephron-sparing treatment for non-surgical candidates. It also has a role in palliation of metastatic or locally advanced disease.