Safety and efficacy of microwave ablation for breast cancer thoracic metastases

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to assess the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) for breast cancer thoracic metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients in our institution with a single lesion of breast cancer thoracic metastases received MWA and invasive spine surgery from August 2014 to November 2016. MWA was executed using the MWA system (2,450 MHz) at 40 W or 50 W with thermometers to control the ablation end points. The pathology of thoracic metastases was confirmed through intraoperative biopsy before ablation. The postoperative complications were recorded. The patients were followed up at 1, 3 and 6 months with contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to monitor for tumor recurrence. RESULTS: The average duration of follow-up for breast cancer thoracic metastases patients (mean age 52.7±8.4 years) was 10.2 months. The rate of postoperative main complications was 8.3% (1/12). The recurrence rate was 16.6% (2/12) as confirmed by persistent enhancement. CONCLUSION: MWA may be used as the adjuvant treatment for thoracic metastases of breast cancer. Results showed that few significant complications and less local recurrence occurred during the follow-up stage. Future research should aim at discovering more about the time controls for microwave–tissue interaction and treatment parameters before widespread use.