Radiofrequency Ablation for Ground-Glass Opacity–Dominant Lung Adenocarcinoma

Purpose To evaluate retrospectively the clinical utility of lung radiofrequency (RF) ablation for the treatment of ground-glass opacity (GGO)–dominant lung adenocarcinoma. Materials and Methods From August 2004 through May 2012, 33 consecutive patients (14 men and 19 women; mean age, 71.1 y; age range, 46–84 y) with 42 lung tumors having ≥ 50% GGO component received lung RF ablation. The mean maximum tumor diameter was 1.6 cm ± 0.9 (range, 0.7–4.0 cm). Feasibility, safety, local tumor progression, and survival were evaluated. Results For the 42 RF sessions, after RF electrodes were placed in each target tumor, planned ablation protocols were completed in all sessions (100%; 42 of 42). No deaths related to the RF procedure occurred. Major and minor complication rates were 4.8% and 23.8%, respectively. Local tumor progression developed in 6 tumors (14.3%; 6 of 42) during a mean follow-up of 42 months ± 23 (range, 5–92 mo). Four of six tumors with local progression were controlled by repeated RF ablation. No evidence of disease was achieved in 31 of 33 patients (93.9%) at the end of the follow-up period. All but one patient (who died of brain hemorrhage) are alive today. Overall and cancer-specific survival rates were 100% and 100% at 1 year, 96.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 77.5%–99.5%) and 100% at 3 years, and 96.4% (95% CI, 77.5%–99.5%) and 100% at 5 years, respectively. Conclusions Lung RF ablation is a feasible, safe, and useful therapeutic option to control GGO-dominant lung adenocarcinoma.