RFA Question

levensweg
levensweg Member Posts: 55
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Although I am a cc suvivor, this question is for my Grandmother in law. She is 84 years old and has had a recurrance from stage three colon cancer with one met to the liver and a slight rise in her cea. Liver resection does not seem to be an option at her age, but the oncologist did mention RFA (Radio Frequency Ablation). She is not intrested in chemo.

My question is mainly about RFA and its side effects. Does anyone know someone whose done this (or any other treatments for that matter) at her age? She just underwent a colostomy reversal with flying colors and her general health is good.

thanks so much,

Reuben

Comments

  • hopefulone
    hopefulone Member Posts: 1,043 Member
    #2
    Hi. God Bless her heart at 84 years young! What a trooper. This is from the Mayo Clinic website.
    Advantages of RF Ablation
    Effective treatment for small cancers
    Minimally invasive, with no skin incision
    Minimal risk to patient
    Typically little or no pain
    Minimal hospital stay
    Can be repeated if new cancer appears

    Check out rfa on the internet. You'll find tons of info. We are hoping that my husband can have a liver resection down the road, or at the very least RFA . Good luck to your Grandmother. God Bless
  • levensweg
    levensweg Member Posts: 55
    #3
    hopefulone said:

    Hi. God Bless her heart at 84 years young! What a trooper. This is from the Mayo Clinic website.
    Advantages of RF Ablation
    Effective treatment for small cancers
    Minimally invasive, with no skin incision
    Minimal risk to patient
    Typically little or no pain
    Minimal hospital stay
    Can be repeated if new cancer appears

    Check out rfa on the internet. You'll find tons of info. We are hoping that my husband can have a liver resection down the road, or at the very least RFA . Good luck to your Grandmother. God Bless

    Thanks so much for your info from Mayo. I know My Grandmother will appreciate as I do and I wish the best for both you and your Husband.

    -Reuben
  • Sunshine22
    Sunshine22 Member Posts: 2
    #4
    Hi Levensweg,
    I just had r.f.a. done a kidney tumour. Don't believe what they say about it not hurting, unless it is done under a general aneastetic. Mine was done in Toronto under the care of a pain med nurse. Although she did as awesome a job as she could with the i.v. meds, I was still in horrendous pain (and after c.c. peritonitis and sepsis I like to believe I have a high pain tolerance). She said afterwards that I was brave and that she had given me so many pain meds that she was shaking. During the four hours in recovery afterwards, my heart rate ranged from 38 to 45 so I think she was afraid the my heart was going to stop from all the meds and I still needed another needle of dermerol and one of gravol in recovery.
    It is an awesome procedure and its amazing that they kill a tumour within 2 or 3 hours but it is very painful so demand that it done under a general.
    Sunshine22

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