Holy Name Medical Center Among First to Offer Advanced Treatment for Metastasis Spinal Tumors

On Apr 25, 2014

Holy Name Medical Center announces that it is among the first in the nation to offer Targeted-Radiofrequency Ablation (t-RFA) therapy, an advanced procedure that provides rapid pain relief from metastasis spinal tumors in a single minimally invasive treatment. Samyadev Datta, MD, Holy Name Medical Center pain management specialist, recently performed the procedure.

“t-RFA is a tremendous advancement in the palliative care options we offer our patients,” said Dr. Datta.“This new targeted therapy provides rapid relief from the debilitating effects of spinal tumors in the vertebrae without interrupting a patient’s current cancer treatment schedule. We are more than pleased about the potential of this unique treatment option and the significant potential benefit for our patients.”

Unlike other currently available treatment options, t-RFA employs the STAR™ Tumor Ablation System, which was developed specifically for the palliative treatment of metastasis vertebral body tumors. These have historically been difficult to access and treat given the unique anatomy of the spine. t-RFA is typically an outpatient procedure and can be performed using local anesthesia through a small incision. A small steerable device is placed into the vertebra in a minimally invasive manner. The physician can target precisely where the device’s energy is delivered with the intent to heat and destroy the metastatic spinal tumor cells to alleviate pain while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues and vital structures. In most cases t-RFA provides pain relief in a single treatment.

Cancer is a major public health problem in the U.S. and throughout the world, with more than 1.6 million new diagnoses each year in the U.S. alone. Exceeded only by heart disease, according to the National Cancer Institute, cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S., accounting for nearly one of every four deaths.