Professor Baek, Jung-hwan of the Department of Radiology (front) is performing RFA on a patient with recurrent thyroid cancer.
A long-term follow-up has shown that patients with relapsed thyroid cancer received RFA and maintained good health for a long time, without recurrence or adverse effects. A research team led by Professor Baek, Jung-hwan of the Department of Radiology, followed-up with 29 patients who had undergone radiofrequency therapy for relapsed thyroid cancer, between September 2008 and April 2012, for a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 9 years and 6 months. As a result, the tumor size was reduced by 99.5%, on average, and 42 out of 46 tumors had disappeared completely.
RFA is a procedure that induces necrosis in tumors using frictional heat. The tumor cells are removed by correctly inserting a microneedle into the tumor, while looking at the ultrasound images and passing radiofrequency electric currents to cause frictional heat of about 100°C. In this study, 90% of all tumors were completely removed in a single radiofrequency treatment. It is also beneficial in terms of faster recovery time and lesser risks of complications since it is non-invasive, as compared to surgery.
Although RFA is known to be effective in treating relapsed thyroid cancer, it was first time that the excellence of its effect was proven even after five years. In particular, all patients in the study were found to be healthy without complications, representing the long-term safety of radiofrequency therapy.
The long-term follow-up results were published in the latest issue of European Radiology, the leading journal in the European radiology world.