Trial for Comparative Treatment of Osteoid Osteomas Announced at UC San Francisco and Stanford

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The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Stanford University are currently enrolling participants in a comparative trial of osteoid osteoma in pediatric patients. This study will compare CT-guided radiofrequency ablation (CTgRFA) with high-intensity focused ultrasound, comparing pain reduction between the two treatments along with procedural experience and quality of life during recovery.

BucknorMatthew Bucknor, MD, (pictured) from the UCSF School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, is the principal investigator for this study, which is funded by the Foundation on the strength of generous donations made by The Block Family Foundation. Dr. Bucknor said, “This trial is important because, while we believe both treatments are effective, we lack data on patient experiences during the treatment day and quality of life during recovery. Focused ultrasound is appealing to many patients and their families, but without a more complete understanding, insurance coverage can be a challenge.”

Osteoid osteomas are painful bone tumors that make up about 10 percent of all benign bone tumors. They are most common in patients under the age of 25, particularly adolescents, with males affected three times more often than females. The major symptom is severe pain, but growth of the tumor can also have significant impacts on bone structure and development. When symptoms interfere with activities of daily life, many patients are referred for treatment.

Currently CTgRFA is the most common procedure used to treat osteoid osteoma patients, which involves placing a needle directly into the location of the tumor and heating the tip of the needle with an electric current until the tumor is destroyed with heat. Focused ultrasound also uses thermal ablation to destroy the tumor and is completely noninvasive.

Look for updates in future editions of our newsletter.

Additional Information
ClinicalTrials.gov page
UCSF web page

Enrollment Information
To enroll at UCSF, contact the Clinical Research Coordinator Kenneth Gao at kenneth.gao@ucsf.edu or 415-353-9437.
To enroll at Stanford, contact Mariam Stephen at mstephe2@stanford.edu or 650-497-9749.