March 1, 1999

About 10 months ago Rene Mares, a 45 year old from San Diego, began experiencing severe pain in his upper right leg. After ruling out a few conditions, his doctors in California found a benign bone tumor in his femur. This tumor, called an osteoid osteoma, typically occurs in children and is known for being extremely painful.

The traditional surgical method for removing the tumor can be just as grueling as the tumor itself, often requiring a long incision, extensive drilling and cutting into bone, lengthy bed rest and two weeks to three months on crutches.

This was not a reasonable option for Mares, who owns a busy landscape architecture firm and enjoys an active lifestyle. Desperate to relieve his excruciating pain, he turned to the Internet, where he learned about a minimally invasive procedure called radiofrequency tumor ablation being performed by Daniel Rosenthal, MD, of MGH Radiology.

"When we do this procedure, the patients are able to walk out the same day they arrive with just a Band-Aid," says Rosenthal. The technique offers fast pain relief, often within 24 hours, while all traces of the tumor disappear from X-rays within approximately a year.

For Mares, there was no doubt in his decision to come to the MGH. "By comparison, the procedure is a miracle," he said. Just hours after his surgery, he reported, "I feel fantastic." That same afternoon, Mares left the MGH and set off to explore Boston – by foot.

The radiofrequency tumor ablation procedure, which requires general anesthesia, delivers tiny waves of energy through a needle placed into the center of the tumor. The energy, emitted through a very small wire, heats up the tumor, baking and destroying it.

Rosenthal borrowed the idea 10 years ago from MGH neurosurgeons who were using applications of radiofrequency energy to treat a condition of one of the nerves in the brain. Given an MGH in-house training grant to adapt the procedure to bone, and with the support of doctors in the Oncology Service of the MGH Orthopædics Department, Rosenthal soon treated his first patient.

"The procedure has developed into a highly successful program, with patients coming for treatment from all over the world," says Rosenthal, who sees about one case a week, a high number considering the rarity of the tumor. To attest to the program's growth, traditional surgery for these types of tumors now is rarely performed at the MGH, and other hospitals are adopting the radiofrequency approach. A similar concept using radiofrequency energy also is being used for certain types of tumors in the kidney and liver.

Patient satisfaction also is a testament. Now, three weeks after his visit to the MGH, Mares says he virtually feels no pain and is medication-free. He calls all aspects of his MGH experience wonderful and is looking forward to resuming all the activities he once enjoyed with a new sense of appreciation. "The pain I felt was extremely intense and required a very stoic way of living. Life without pain is like a rebirth," Mares says.

Daniel Rosenthal, MD, left, and Rene Mares