Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for primary and secondary lung cancers
Summary
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for primary and secondary lung cancers in July 2006.
NICE has reviewed this guidance and is reassessing the procedure. New guidance will be published as a result. Until the new guidance is published the NHS should continue to follow the recommendations in the guidance below.
The Interventional Procedures Advisory Committee (IPAC) will consider this procedure review and NICE will issue an Interventional Procedures Consultation Document about its safety and efficacy for 4 weeks public consultation. IPAC will then review the consultation document in the light of comments received and produce a Final Interventional Procedures Document, which will be considered by NICE before guidance is issued to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
If you wish to be updated to any developments with this procedure, you can express an interest here.
Description
Both primary lung cancer, and metastatic lung disease are common. The stage of the disease is the most important prognostic factor; however, the overall prognosis for patients with lung cancer is poor. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation may be used in patients with small early-stage lung cancer for whom surgery is not appropriate or who do not wish to undergo conventional surgery, and for patients with a small number of lung metastases
A small needle electrode is inserted through the skin directly into the tumour, usually under computed tomography (CT) guidance. Radiofrequency energy is passed through the electrode, producing heat which destroys the tumour tissue.
OPCS code:
E59.5 Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of lesion of lung
Y53.- Approach to organ under image control
Note: Codes within category Y53.- are used as secondary codes to classify interventions that are percutaneous and require some form of image control: if the method of image control is unspecified, Y53.9 Unspecified approach to organ under image control is assigned.
In addition, an ICD-10 code from category C34.- Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung or C78.0 Secondary malignant neoplasm of lung would be recorded.
The NHS Classifications Service of NHS Connecting for Health is the central definitive source for clinical coding guidance and determines the coding standards associated with the classifications (OPCS-4 and ICD-10) to be used across the NHS. The NHS Classifications Service and NICE work collaboratively to ensure the most appropriate classification codes are provided. www.connectingforhealth.co.uk/clinicalcoding
Details
Respiratory
British Society of Interventional Radiology
Royal College of Radiologists
British Thoracic Society
Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of GB & Ireland
Contact details:
(for general enquiries or comments)
(for procedure specific enquiries or comments)
ip@nice.org.uk
Interventional Procedures Programme
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
MidCity Place
71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6NA
