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Radio Frequency Ablation Questions
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Radio Frequency Ablation Questions

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Radio Frequency Ablation Questions

  • Post
    • April 26, 2011 at 5:06 am
    Napa K
    Participant

      Does anyone have any experience or insight on radio frequency ablation in melanoma?  doctors you know of doing it? trials?  Trying to deal with a likely unresectable mass high in my right axila adjacent to the transition of the subclavian and axilary veins. No other known disease at this time and looking for something to do now, even if it is not a long-term fix.  Thanks for any info you may have in advance.

      Does anyone have any experience or insight on radio frequency ablation in melanoma?  doctors you know of doing it? trials?  Trying to deal with a likely unresectable mass high in my right axila adjacent to the transition of the subclavian and axilary veins. No other known disease at this time and looking for something to do now, even if it is not a long-term fix.  Thanks for any info you may have in advance.

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        • April 26, 2011 at 1:26 pm
        stillhopeful
        Participant

          I know it can be done at Columbia Presbyterian and Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC.  I know someone who had it done, but I have no diret experience.

          • April 26, 2011 at 1:26 pm
          stillhopeful
          Participant

            I know it can be done at Columbia Presbyterian and Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC.  I know someone who had it done, but I have no diret experience.

              • April 28, 2011 at 5:11 am
              K in LA
              Participant

                Pretty sure my husband had this done last summer at UCLA — part of a clinical trial that combined ablation with stereotactic radiation — to treat a met. in the lung that was too close to major organs to be treated by the usual full dose of radiation alone.

                The ablation was done under local anaestetic so he was awake to hold his breath at the surgeon's direction.  It WAS painful — not least becuase my husband has a tendency to undersell the level of pain he's experiencing (it turned out his 3 or 4 was everyone else's 6 or 7) so wasn't given enough morphine!!!!!

                This clinical trial, if it is still open, is normally used for lung cancer & I had to fight our insurers to get it approved.  Fortunately, California law requires insurance companies to fund any clinical trial for cancer if the insured's doctor deems it "medically necessary" — this is an excellent brochure from UC Davis on the issue.  I don't know what the situation is in other states.

                http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/clinical_trials/thebigc/pdfs/CC_Clinical_Law_Trial.pdf

                • April 28, 2011 at 5:11 am
                K in LA
                Participant

                  Pretty sure my husband had this done last summer at UCLA — part of a clinical trial that combined ablation with stereotactic radiation — to treat a met. in the lung that was too close to major organs to be treated by the usual full dose of radiation alone.

                  The ablation was done under local anaestetic so he was awake to hold his breath at the surgeon's direction.  It WAS painful — not least becuase my husband has a tendency to undersell the level of pain he's experiencing (it turned out his 3 or 4 was everyone else's 6 or 7) so wasn't given enough morphine!!!!!

                  This clinical trial, if it is still open, is normally used for lung cancer & I had to fight our insurers to get it approved.  Fortunately, California law requires insurance companies to fund any clinical trial for cancer if the insured's doctor deems it "medically necessary" — this is an excellent brochure from UC Davis on the issue.  I don't know what the situation is in other states.

                  http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer/clinical_trials/thebigc/pdfs/CC_Clinical_Law_Trial.pdf

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