The efficacy and complication rates of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and cryoablation (CA) in the treatment of T1 renal masses in two Northern Italy hospitals were retrospectively investigated. Eighty-two patients with 80 T1a tumors and 10 T1b tumors treated with thermal ablation from 2015 through 2020 were included. A total of 43 tumors in 38 patients were treated with RFA (2.3 ± 0.9 cm), and 47 tumors in 44 patients were treated with CA (2.1 ± 0.8 cm). The mean follow-up observation period was 26 ± 19 months. The major complications and efficacy, as measured using the technical success and local tumor recurrence rates, were recorded. There were three (6.9%) technical failures with RFA and one (2.1%) with cryoablation (p = 0.30). Among the 40 tumors that were successfully treated with RFA, 1 tumor (2.5%) developed local tumor recurrence; 5/46 tumors that were treated with cryoablation (10.8%) developed local tumor recurrence (p = 0.17). T1b lesions (4.0 ± 0.7 cm) resulted in 1/6 technically unsuccessful cases with RFA and 0/4 with CA. No recurrent disease was detected in the T1b lesions. Major complications occurred after 2.3% (1/43) of RFAs and 0/47 of cryoablation procedures. RFA and cryoablation are both effective in the treatment of renal masses. Major complications with either procedure are uncommon.
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland). 2023 Sep 26*** epublish ***
Lorenzo Bertolotti, Federica Segato, Francesco Pagnini, Sebastiano Buti, Andrea Casarin, Antonio Celia, Francesco Ziglioli, Umberto Maestroni, Giuseppe Pedrazzi, Velio Ascenti, Chiara Martini, Calogero Cicero, Massimo De Filippo
Section of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Maggiore Hospital, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, PR, Italy., G.B. Rossi University Hospital, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, VR, Italy., Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma-Oncology Unit, University Hospital of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, PR, Italy., Department of Radiology, San Bassiano Hospital, 36061 Bassano del Grappa, VI, Italy., Department of Urology, San Bassiano Hospital, 36061 Bassano del Grappa, VI, Italy., Department of Urology, Parma University Hospital, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, PR, Italy., Centre of Statistic, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, PR, Italy., Postgraduate School of Radiodiagnostics, Policlinico Universitario, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, MI, Italy., Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Maggiore Hospital, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, PR, Italy.