BACKGROUNDTo observe the CT appearance and pathological changes of VX2 tumor in rabbit lung after radio-frequency ablation.

METHODSAfter VX2 tumor tissue suspension was injected into the lungs, the transplanted lung cancer models were established in 36 New Zealand white rabbits. Twenty-eight rabbits were treated with radio-frequency ablation, and another 8 rabbits without any treatment as control. The CT appearances and pathological changes were observed in different time intervals after the treatment in 14 rabbits out of experimental group. The survival periods of the rabbits were recorded in the rest 14 rabbits of experimental group and the control group respectively.

RESULTSCoagulative necrosis and cell apoptosis appeared in the tumor tissues after the ablation, and inflammatory cells were found in the lung tissues around the areas of ablation. Wadding shadows appeared in CT images after the treatment and disappeared with the inflammation vanished, but the tumor shadows ceased to increase. In the experimental group, tumor tissues were almost necrosed in the target areas of 21 rabbits, however, peripheral residual nests of histologically viable tumor were found in the target areas of the other 7 rabbits. The survival periods of rabbits in the experimental group and the control group were 38 days±3.4 days days and 26 days±2.8 days respectively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSRadio-frequency ablation may be an effective method in the treatment of lung cancer.