Woman Teaching Granddaughter to Knit

TREATING PAIN FOR BETTER DAYS

If you are suffering from pain caused by bone tumors, talk to your oncologist about treatment options, such as OsteoCool RF Ablation.

TREATMENT USING THE OSTEOCOOL RF ABLATION SYSTEM

Radiofrequency RF ablation is a procedure that uses alternating, low power current to generate heat. The heat is delivered by a probe to the tumor to intentionally dry out and kill cancerous cells.

OsteoCoolTM RF Ablation is leading-edge technology that allows your doctor to deliver the ablation energy to the precise size and location of your tumor. It’s predictable. During the procedure, pumped water circulates through the probes to control the temperature and help reduce damage to the surrounding healthy tissue.

THERAPY OVERVIEW

Image of OsteoCool incision sites.
HOW DOES OSTEOCOOL WORK?
 
  1. Your doctor will take an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI to identify which bones are causing pain.
  2. The procedure is minimally invasive. You will receive local or moderate sedation during the ablation treatment. Usually, you’ll go home the same day.
  3. Your doctor will make one or two small incisions in your skin, near the location of the tumor. The ablation probes are inserted. (The illustration to the right shows incisions for treating tumors in the spine, one of the most common locations for tumors to metastasize.)
  4. The OsteoCool system is turned on and emits energy for 6.5 to 15 minutes per affected area, targeting the tumor.
  5. If the painful tumor is located in your spine and you also have a vertebral compression fracture, you may have a vertebral-stabilizing procedure, called vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. You and your doctor will discuss this during an appointment before the ablation procedure. The stabilizing procedure can be done at the same time your tumor is treated, using the same incision points.

OsteoCool Indications

  • Intended for palliative treatment in spinal procedures by ablation of metastatic malignant lesions in a vertebral body.
  • Coagulation and ablation of tissue in bone during surgical procedures including palliation of pain associated with metastatic lesions involving bone in patients who have failed or are not candidates for standard therapy.
  • Ablation of benign bone tumors such as osteoid osteoma.

OsteoCool Risks

  • Remember to always talk to your doctor about the benefits and potential complications and risks for any procedure.
  • Damage to surrounding tissue may occur. If you have a tumor in the cervical spine (neck), this therapy may not be right for you.

 

Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.