RFA experience?

JayhawkDan
JayhawkDan Member Posts: 205
in Colorectal Cancer #1
Radio Frequency Ablation...wondering if anyone has experience with this procedure? I've been at this cancer thing for 8 months and have been considered non-operable. Have had 13 chemo treatments, and the onc wants to do one more, do scans, and then consider surgery on the primary rectal tumor, and RFA on the tumors in the liver. Chemo is kicking my butt, but it's been working well (CEA from 44 down to .9), and this is encouraging. Anything you can share about RFA -- effectiveness, side effects, recovery, etc., will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dan

Comments

  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #2
    RFA
    Hi Dan,
    I've had 5 RFA procedures done on my lungs over the past 5 or so years. The most recent was August 14th of this year. I've had great success with them. I stayed overnight for the first one (for observation only) and the other four times I went home the same day. I felt a tiny bit sore after some of them but it was negligible (to me). The only side effect was that it destroyed the lung tumor.

    I do not know about RFAs to the liver but if it's anything like the lung ones (which I imagine they are at least from a "how they preform it" aspect) I would seriously look into having them done.
    -phil
  • JayhawkDan
    JayhawkDan Member Posts: 205
    #3
    PhillieG said:

    RFA
    Hi Dan,
    I've had 5 RFA procedures done on my lungs over the past 5 or so years. The most recent was August 14th of this year. I've had great success with them. I stayed overnight for the first one (for observation only) and the other four times I went home the same day. I felt a tiny bit sore after some of them but it was negligible (to me). The only side effect was that it destroyed the lung tumor.

    I do not know about RFAs to the liver but if it's anything like the lung ones (which I imagine they are at least from a "how they preform it" aspect) I would seriously look into having them done.
    -phil

    That sounds good...
    and encouraging. Thanks for the info. I believe I remember you mentioning RFA's in the past, but that was during my "getting bombarded with stuff" phase and didn't know and RFA from an SUV. Thanks again, Dan.
  • Varmint5
    Varmint5 Member Posts: 384 Member
    #4
    Glad to hear they're talking surgery finally!
    It's about time. You've had such a great response to your treatment. I'm so glad they are now finally talking about going after those liver tumors. I know two men here locally who have had RFA on colon cancer mets to the liver, but both had it done during liver resection surgeries, so that doesn't tell us much. Also, I know Suzanne Lindley, a 13 year stage IV colon cancer survivor, had SIR Spheres to her liver which killed the liver tumors, then had one recurrence in the liver about a year later and had RFA for it and all liver tumors have stayed gone since then. She has a web site www.beatlivertumors.org and a hotline that you can call. She advocates for the Y90 spheres.

    Best wishes,
    Sandy

    I have not posted much on this site lately - try to read it but it is so sllllloooooooowwwww to load and I am so pressed for time...
  • Hooley
    Hooley Member Posts: 156
    #5
    PhillieG said:

    RFA
    Hi Dan,
    I've had 5 RFA procedures done on my lungs over the past 5 or so years. The most recent was August 14th of this year. I've had great success with them. I stayed overnight for the first one (for observation only) and the other four times I went home the same day. I felt a tiny bit sore after some of them but it was negligible (to me). The only side effect was that it destroyed the lung tumor.

    I do not know about RFAs to the liver but if it's anything like the lung ones (which I imagine they are at least from a "how they preform it" aspect) I would seriously look into having them done.
    -phil

    Lung op
    Hi Phil. I have sec lun mets from Bowel. Onc Sid cs mets on inside if lung non operable? Can I ak about yours
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #6
    Hooley said:

    Lung op
    Hi Phil. I have sec lun mets from Bowel. Onc Sid cs mets on inside if lung non operable? Can I ak about yours

    Hooley
    My shorthand isn't that good...If you ask in English I can possibly help!
    :-)
    -phil
  • JayhawkDan
    JayhawkDan Member Posts: 205
    #7
    Varmint5 said:

    Glad to hear they're talking surgery finally!
    It's about time. You've had such a great response to your treatment. I'm so glad they are now finally talking about going after those liver tumors. I know two men here locally who have had RFA on colon cancer mets to the liver, but both had it done during liver resection surgeries, so that doesn't tell us much. Also, I know Suzanne Lindley, a 13 year stage IV colon cancer survivor, had SIR Spheres to her liver which killed the liver tumors, then had one recurrence in the liver about a year later and had RFA for it and all liver tumors have stayed gone since then. She has a web site www.beatlivertumors.org and a hotline that you can call. She advocates for the Y90 spheres.

    Best wishes,
    Sandy

    I have not posted much on this site lately - try to read it but it is so sllllloooooooowwwww to load and I am so pressed for time...

    Sandy,
    I was just reading your response about the Y90 question, so got caught up on your daughter a bit. My posting is kind of haphazard too, but I think I learn more here than about anywhere. The surgery/RFA deal is the idea of my hometown onc, and he's going to consult with my KU doc after the scans, to decide if this is the right path to take. If that's what we decide to do I'm going to have it done at KU. The idea of taking 6-8 weeks off from chemo to prepare for this stuff sounds like heaven right now. I feel like I'm not over the last treatment and I'm starting the next one. Makes it difficult to work or get much done, but it's been effective so I can't b!tch (wouldn't do any good, anyway ;-). I'll be interested to hear what you think about CTCA -- are you going to Tulsa?
  • Varmint5
    Varmint5 Member Posts: 384 Member
    #8
    JayhawkDan said:

    Sandy,
    I was just reading your response about the Y90 question, so got caught up on your daughter a bit. My posting is kind of haphazard too, but I think I learn more here than about anywhere. The surgery/RFA deal is the idea of my hometown onc, and he's going to consult with my KU doc after the scans, to decide if this is the right path to take. If that's what we decide to do I'm going to have it done at KU. The idea of taking 6-8 weeks off from chemo to prepare for this stuff sounds like heaven right now. I feel like I'm not over the last treatment and I'm starting the next one. Makes it difficult to work or get much done, but it's been effective so I can't b!tch (wouldn't do any good, anyway ;-). I'll be interested to hear what you think about CTCA -- are you going to Tulsa?

    Yes we are
    And it is amazing. Hard to explain, but over-the-top amazing. I just hope we get good results and so far we are. They did not waste any time getting her back on her treatment - like immediately! VERY positive and hopeful atmosphere there. And the friendliest place I've ever been. It's been such a turning point for us and I've been so impressed with every doctor that we've dealt with, and heard some amazing stories. We are very optimistic at this point. There are several people from here who have also gone there and have amazing results when doctors around here (Kansas City, Columbia) had given up on them. So... we had to check it out for ourselves. Incredible place, cutting edge treatments and very knowledgeable doctors.

    Sandy
  • janie1
    janie1 Member Posts: 753 Member
    #9
    Varmint5 said:

    Yes we are
    And it is amazing. Hard to explain, but over-the-top amazing. I just hope we get good results and so far we are. They did not waste any time getting her back on her treatment - like immediately! VERY positive and hopeful atmosphere there. And the friendliest place I've ever been. It's been such a turning point for us and I've been so impressed with every doctor that we've dealt with, and heard some amazing stories. We are very optimistic at this point. There are several people from here who have also gone there and have amazing results when doctors around here (Kansas City, Columbia) had given up on them. So... we had to check it out for ourselves. Incredible place, cutting edge treatments and very knowledgeable doctors.

    Sandy

    Yay, Dan !!
    Like hearing talk of something more than chemo.
    I had RFA twice this year in the liver. First, 3 tumors, then 1.
    Side effects - none (didn't even know something happened).
    Good luck. Keep us posted. We all learn from each other.
  • sdp
    sdp Member Posts: 181
    #10
    janie1 said:

    Yay, Dan !!
    Like hearing talk of something more than chemo.
    I had RFA twice this year in the liver. First, 3 tumors, then 1.
    Side effects - none (didn't even know something happened).
    Good luck. Keep us posted. We all learn from each other.

    RFA experience
    I am scheduled for RFA to two tumours 4mm each in the liver on this Friday morning, in Germany.

    I just had a liver resection a month back and am still recovering from that. Wounds from the operation are still healing.

    Can you pl tell me what the hospitalisation stay is ? Is there pain after the procedure .

    I am having a percutaneous procedure. How many days will it take for recovery. Is there anything I need to worry about.

    They are going to do the procedure under general anaesthesia and after that they have currently schedule a one day hospitalisation which may go to two days as per the docs here.

    Any details regarding how best to recover, diet , and effects after the procedure would be helpful of some one Can advise me.

    Thanks in anticipation of responses .

    Sdp
  • mikew42
    mikew42 Member Posts: 114 Member
    #11
    RFA Experience
    Dan,

    I had RFA done on three liver mets in Nov. 2004. The procedure was fairly quick and I spent one night in the hospital. Most people are out the same day. I was pretty sore for a week or so, but overall a fairly easy procedure compared to the colon surgery I had in 2004 or the liver suregery I had last year. That is very encouraging news that your CEA has dropped so significantly.

    Mike
  • mikew42
    mikew42 Member Posts: 114 Member
    #12
    RFA Experience
    Dan,

    I had RFA done on three liver mets in Nov. 2004. The procedure was fairly quick and I spent one night in the hospital. Most people are out the same day. I was pretty sore for a week or so, but overall a fairly easy procedure compared to the colon surgery I had in 2004 or the liver suregery I had last year. That is very encouraging news that your CEA has dropped so significantly.

    Mike
  • janie1
    janie1 Member Posts: 753 Member
    #13
    sdp said:

    RFA experience
    I am scheduled for RFA to two tumours 4mm each in the liver on this Friday morning, in Germany.

    I just had a liver resection a month back and am still recovering from that. Wounds from the operation are still healing.

    Can you pl tell me what the hospitalisation stay is ? Is there pain after the procedure .

    I am having a percutaneous procedure. How many days will it take for recovery. Is there anything I need to worry about.

    They are going to do the procedure under general anaesthesia and after that they have currently schedule a one day hospitalisation which may go to two days as per the docs here.

    Any details regarding how best to recover, diet , and effects after the procedure would be helpful of some one Can advise me.

    Thanks in anticipation of responses .

    Sdp

    Hello Sdp
    I don't think you will notice much. You are still recovering from surgery, so this won't be anything compared to that. Yes, it is done with general anesthesia. 1 or 2 nights stay in hospital is correct. Some people go home the same day, but since you had surgery fairly recently, staying overnight is reasonable.
    I don't think there are any diet restrictions and since you are still recovering from surgery, things won't be any different. Maybe, just a little more fatigue.
    Best to you, Sdp.

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