Source: DGNews  |  Posted 9 years ago

By Ed Susman
Special to DG News

CHICAGO, IL -- December 5, 2002 -- Dramatic and durable pain relief is possible for patients with bone metastases by using by guiding needles to the site of the lesions through ultrasound or computed tomography and then heating the needles with radio frequency waves.

A multicenter, international study demonstrated dramatic reductions in pain and improved quality of life in patients, said Dr. Matthew R. Callstrom, MD, PhD, associate professor of radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States, who presented the findings at here December 4 the at the 88th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America .

He said that prior to treatment the "average analog pain score for these patients was 8/10, while after treatment the average score was 2/10." The scores refer to the standardized Brief Pain Inventory in which "10" represents the highest level of pain and "0" represents no pain.

Dr. Callstrom said operators used percutaneous computed tomography or ultrasound to guide the probe. He said the best results are achieved when "the probe is guided through the tumor and we ablate right up against the bone." He added, "It isn