<b>Lung RFA and Insurance Hassles</b>

Dear Madam Brimstone,
My insurance company is giving me hassles about paying for lung RFA. Do you have any corroboratory material I can use to convince them?
About To Be Burned Twice
...
Dear Twice,
Here are some citations for the insurance company

1. <b>Search Pubmed</b> for &&url
As of November 2003, there are 28 articles listed in this search.

2. <b>Effect of Radio Frequency Ablation on Lung Cancer.</b>
&&url 

3.<b>Percutaneous imaging-guided radio frequency ablation (RFA) of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) in lung</b>
&&url

4. <b>Percutaneous Imaging-Guided Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) of Secondary Colorectal Cancers (CRC) in Lung.</b>
&&url

 5. <b>Radio Frequency Ablation (Rfa) of Metastatic Lesions in Adrenocortical Cancer (Acc)</b> 
&&url

6. Chest
<b>Radiofrequency thermal ablation of a metastatic lung nodule</b>
..."This case illustrates the use of RF ablation in a patient in whom surgical resection was no longer possible and where chemotherapy was unlikely to produce benefit. This technique may offer a viable method of cytoreduction when other treatments have not succeeded."
&&url

7. European Radiology  Issue: Volume 12, Supplement 3  December 2002  Pages: S166 - S170  
<b>Radiofrequency thermal ablation of a metastatic lung nodule</b>
&&url

<b>Checking the FDA site for approvals on devices.</b> Devices seem to be approved by what they are used for. The one for several of the RFA models says: 
"...for the ablation and coagulation of soft tissue, including the partial or complete ablation of non-resectable liver lesions."
I think that mets in the lung would probably meet the approved category of "soft tissue."


<b>Subject: lung RFA and FDA approval</b>
 From: Been Burned
To: About to be Burned 2ce
Dear Burned:
Mme Brimstone is right when she indicates that the FDA approval for RFA is via its approval for the equipment. Dr. Sewell of U of Mississippi was very explicit about that when I asked him about the status of FDA approval for his treatment of lung tumors by RFA. He said that there will not be any additional approval for this specific procedure, that the FDA has approved the equipment for the treatment of cancer and that's it. He will write papers for professional meetings and publications, but acceptance of the procedure will come as it is done and the results become known. So, use the abstracts and texts that show that RFA kills cancer cells, there should be no doubt about that, and keep escalating, take to the State Insurance Commissioner if you need to.
Sincerely,
Been Burned and Ready to Be Burned Again if I Need to.
