Renal Tumors: Technical Success and Early Clinical Experience with Radiofrequency Ablation of 18 Tumors

To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and technical efficacy of image-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of small peripheral renal tumors and to report our early results with this treatment modality.

Twenty-two RFA sessions for 18 tumors were performed in 11 patients with renal tumors. Indications included coexistent morbidity, high surgical or anesthetic risk, solitary kidney, and hereditary predisposition to renal cell carcinoma. Ten patients had CT-guided percutaneous RFA performed on an outpatient basis. One patient had open intraoperative ultrasound-guided RFA. Technical success was defined as elimination of areas that enhanced at imaging within the entire tumor. With the exception of one patient with renal insufficiency who required gadolinium-enhanced MRI, the remaining patients underwent contrast-enhanced CT for post-treatment follow-up assessment. Follow-up was performed after 2–4 weeks and then at 3, 6, 12 months, and every 12 months thereafter.

Fourteen (78%) of 18 tumors were successfully ablated with one session. Three of the remaining four tumors required two sessions for successful ablation. One tumor will require a third session for areas of persistent enhancement. Mean patient age was 72.82 ± 10.43 years. Mean tumor size was 1.95 ± 0.79 cm. Mean follow-up time was 10.91 months. All procedures were performed without any major complications.

Our early experience with percutaneous image-guided radiofrequency ablation demonstrates it to be a feasible, safe, noninvasive, and effective treatment of small peripheral renal tumors.