Clinical assessment of magnetic resonance imaging-guided radiofrequency ablation for breast cancer

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for breast cancer patients who cannot undergo traditional surgery. A total of 10 patients were treated by MRI-guided RFA, of whom 6 had stage IV disease (lung metastasis n=3, bone metastasis n=1, liver metastasis n=1 and mediastinal metastasis n=1) and the remaining 4 patients, who refused surgery, had stage III disease accompanied by severe underlying conditions. The changes in feasibility, tumor volume, bleeding, local recurrence, metastasis and complications were evaluated after RFA. The patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, and annually thereafter. A total of 14 RFA sessions were successfully performed (100%) in the 10 patients, among whom 7 patients underwent a single RFA session, 2 patients underwent two sessions, and 1 patient underwent three sessions. Compared with pre-RFA, the volume of the tumors at 6 months after RFA was markedly decreased. There was no local tumor recurrence or metastasis detected during a mean follow-up period of 19.5±3.46 months, and no major complications were reported. Therefore, RFA was found to be a minimally invasive and feasible treatment method in the present study, and MRI-guided RFA may be a promising alternative option for breast cancer patients who are unable to tolerate surgery. However, more prospective studies on the applicability of RFA in breast cancer are required.