RxPG News Feed for RxPG News

Medical Research Health Special Topics World
  Home
 
   Health
 Aging
 Asian Health
 Events
 Fitness
 Food & Nutrition
 Happiness
 Men's Health
 Mental Health
 Occupational Health
 Parenting
 Public Health
 Sleep Hygiene
 Women's Health
 
   Healthcare
 Africa
 Australia
 Canada Healthcare
 China Healthcare
 India Healthcare
 New Zealand
 South Africa
 UK
 USA
 World Healthcare
 
   Latest Research
 Aging
 Alternative Medicine
 Anaethesia
 Biochemistry
 Biotechnology
 Cancer
  Bladder
  Blood
  Bone Cancer
  Brain
  Breast Cancer
  Carcinogens
  Cervical Cancer
  Colon
  Endometrial
  Esophageal
  Gastric Cancer
  Liver Cancer
  Lung
  Nerve Tissue
   Acoustic Neuroma
  Ovarian Cancer
  Pancreatic Cancer
  Prostate Cancer
  Rectal Cancer
  Renal Cell Carcinoma
  Risk Factors
  Skin
  Testicular Cancer
  Therapy
  Thyroid
 Cardiology
 Clinical Trials
 Cytology
 Dental
 Dermatology
 Embryology
 Endocrinology
 ENT
 Environment
 Epidemiology
 Gastroenterology
 Genetics
 Gynaecology
 Haematology
 Immunology
 Infectious Diseases
 Medicine
 Metabolism
 Microbiology
 Musculoskeletal
 Nephrology
 Neurosciences
 Obstetrics
 Ophthalmology
 Orthopedics
 Paediatrics
 Pathology
 Pharmacology
 Physiology
 Physiotherapy
 Psychiatry
 Radiology
 Rheumatology
 Sports Medicine
 Surgery
 Toxicology
 Urology
 
   Medical News
 Awards & Prizes
 Epidemics
 Launch
 Opinion
 Professionals
 
   Special Topics
 Ethics
 Euthanasia
 Evolution
 Feature
 Odd Medical News
 Climate

Last Updated: Oct 11, 2012 - 10:22:56 PM
Nerve Tissue Channel

subscribe to Nerve Tissue newsletter
Latest Research : Cancer : Nerve Tissue

   EMAIL   |   PRINT
Coblation SpineWand offers relief for patients with spinal tumors

May 7, 2006 - 4:14:00 PM , Reviewed by: Priya Saxena
"This image-guided procedure guarantees ultimate accuracy. It enables us to provide pain relief and improved mobility to patients while minimizing risks that have traditionally limited treatment options for cancer patients."

 
[RxPG] A radiologist at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine has developed a new procedure to treat fractured vertebrae caused by spinal tumors, a procedure that may decrease the risk of complications, which are experienced by 5 to 10% of patients with malignant tumors of the spine.

Wade Wong, D.O.F.A.C.R, UCSD professor of radiology, and San Diego clinician Bassem Georgy, M.D., partially removed spinal tumors from 28 patients before repairing the spine with vertebroplasty – a procedure to cement and stabilize damaged vertebrae. He used a technology that utilizes plasma-mediated radiofrequency energy combined with saline solution to gently and precisely remove soft tissue at low temperature – minimizing damage to healthy tissue.

"This image-guided procedure guarantees ultimate accuracy," said Wong. It enables us to provide pain relief and improved mobility to patients while minimizing risks that have traditionally limited treatment options for cancer patients."

Wong will present his study on May 6 at the American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (ASITN.) He added that some patients in the study who were previously bedridden became much more active after their fractures were repaired using this method, increasing their overall quality of life.

Vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are common complications of spinal tumors. Approximately 10 percent of the estimated one million VCFs that occur each year in the United States are caused by spinal metastases. Unfortunately, spinal tumors present challenges that traditionally have left many cancer patients with very few treatment options. Open surgery is invasive and involves a long recovery. Traditional vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty – two procedures that utilize bone cement to stabilize the fractured vertebrae – are also risky when a tumor is present, because the procedures can cause cancerous cells to spread into the blood stream. They also carry a higher risk of bone cement leaking out of the vertebral body into the spinal canal, potentially leading to paralysis.

Wong removed the tumor prior to vertebroplasty on 28 patients using the plasma-mediated procedure commonly known as the "Coblation SpineWand." Following the partial removal of the tumor, bone cement was injected into the cavity created by the process in order to stabilize the fractured bone fragments. The researchers report that all 28 patients treated in the study experienced decreased pain and improved function.

"I never dreamed it would be this successful," said Wong, adding that when first approached the ArthroCare Corporation, manufacturers of the Coblation process, they were skeptical. The device was already in use for other medical applications, such as ear, nose and throat surgery, and arthroscopic applications. "Generally, a cancerous lesion of the spine can eat away at the bone, which can cause a mass in the spinal canal resulting in paralysis or great pain," Wong said.

The process first removes tumor bulk, then delivers cement to strength the vertebrae, which reduces pain.

"It's like creating a cast to a fracture," said Wong, "but in the inside of the body instead of on the outside."

Using the process doesn't preclude other treatments, such as chemo or radiation therapy. Though the process doesn't cure the cancer, it can add to the quality of life for the patient.

"Even in patients with a malignancy, it doesn't mean it's the end of their life. This procedure allows them to resume activities, like walking or even rollerblading, that they enjoyed before," said Wong, adding, "Quality of life is what's key."



Publication: Wong will present his study on May 6 at the American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (ASITN.)
On the web: www.arthrocare.com 

Advertise in this space for $10 per month. Contact us today.


Related Nerve Tissue News
Poliovirus Destroyed Neuroblastoma Tumors in Mice
Coblation SpineWand offers relief for patients with spinal tumors
Promising neuroblastoma treatment with hu14.18 antibody and gamma-delta-T lymphocytes combination
Genetic clues guide customized treatment for neuroblastoma
Methionine Aminopeptidase-2 (MetAP2) - New Therapeutic Target in Neurofibromatosis 1
No substantial risk of acoustic neuroma with mobile phone use

Subscribe to Nerve Tissue Newsletter

Enter your email address:


 Feedback
For any corrections of factual information, to contact the editors or to send any medical news or health news press releases, use feedback form

Top of Page

 
Contact us

RxPG Online

Nerve

 

    Full Text RSS

© All rights reserved by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited (India)