Percutaneous thermal ablation alone or in combination with cementoplasty for renal cell carcinoma osseous metastases: Pain palliation and local tumour control

Introduction: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive percutaneous thermal ablation alone or in combination with cementoplasty for pain palliation and local tumour control of renal cell carcinoma osseous metastases. Methods: Imaging-guided thermal ablation was performed in 59 renal cell carcinoma osseous metastatic tumours in 23 patients (concomitant cementoplasty in 43 tumours) selected following multidisciplinary consultations to achieve local tumour control and pain palliation (75%, 44/59) or pain palliation alone (25%, 15/59) in this retrospective study. Tumour characteristics, procedural details and complications were documented. Pain palliation was assessed using pre- and post-procedural Numeric Rating Scale scores at 1-week, 1-month, 3-month and 6-month time intervals. Pre- and post-procedural cross-sectional imaging was reviewed to assess local tumour control rates at 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month post-treatment time intervals. Results: All procedures were technically successful and performed as pre-operatively planned. The median pre- and post-procedural Numeric Rating Scale scores were 8.0 and 3.0 (at all time intervals), respectively (P < 0.001). Local tumour control rates were 100% (40/40), 100% (36/36) and 85% (28/33) at ≥3 months, ≥6 months and ≥12 months post-procedural time intervals, respectively. There was 1 minor complication (1.7%, 1/59). Conclusions: Percutaneous thermal ablation alone or in combination with cementoplasty is safe and effective for pain palliation and local tumour control of renal cell carcinoma osseous metastases.