Purpose: To determine the efficacy and tolerance of ultrasonography (US)-guided percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation with endocrine therapy in elderly patients with breast cancer who decline or are not candidates for surgery.
Materials and methods: Internal ethics committee approval was obtained, and patients gave informed written consent. Women older than 70 years with breast carcinoma, who had undergone neoadjuvant endocrine therapy within the past 6 months, underwent US-guided RF ablation while under local anesthesia and sedation. Only tumors measuring 3 cm or smaller and situated at least 1 cm from the skin, nipple, and chest wall were selected. Multitine electrodes were used. Endocrine therapy was continued for a total of 5 years, and breast irradiation was not performed. Clinical follow-up included US, mammography, and dynamic contrast material-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging every 2 months for 6 months and then every 6 months until 5 years. Primary end points were RF ablation efficacy at 1 year on the basis of DCE MR imaging follow-up and procedural tolerance. The secondary end point was delayed local efficacy at the end of endocrine therapy (5 years) on the basis of DCE MR imaging follow-up.
Results: Twenty-one women were treated from December 2004 to April 2010 (median age, 79 years; age range, 70-88 years). Efficacy was demonstrated at 1 year, with only one patient presenting with a local relapse. No general complications were noted. Skin burn occurred in four patients, with spontaneous healing after a maximum of 2 months. Ten patients were followed up for 5 years, with three additional patients presenting with cancer recurrence outside the ablation zone at 30, 48, and 60 months-including two with lobular carcinoma. Four patients died during the full follow-up, two of breast cancer-related causes and two of unrelated causes.
Conclusion: RF ablation in elderly patients with nonresected breast cancer is well tolerated and efficient at 1-year follow-up. The technique is not recommended for lobular carcinoma.