Application Detail

Status

Open

Description of Medical Service

Microwave thermal ablation (MTA) is a thermoablative technique that uses high frequency electromagnetic energy to produce large ablation volumes in fast procedure times (up to six minutes), with high accuracy and predictability (Swan et al. 2012).
MTA is used to treat patients with surgically unresectable primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or metastatic liver tumours. It can be administered percutaneously, laparoscopically or intraoperatively in radiology departments or in operating theatres (Simon et al. 2005).

Description of Medical Condition

Hepatic resection is currently the only potentially curative treatment for primary and metastatic liver tumours cases (Bhardwaj et al. 2009). They reported a 5 year associated survival of 25-30% of patients and a 25 month median survival (Bhardwaj et al. 2009). However, 75-80% of patients with these tumours are not candidates for surgical resection due to tumour location and extent, poor physiological hepatic reserve from cirrhosis/hepatitis and extra-hepatic disease (Bhardwaj et al. 2009; Swan et al. 2012). MTA may be an ideal treatment approach for these patients.

Reason for Application

New MBS item

Medical Service Type

Therapeutic

Previous Application Number

Not Applicable

Associated Documentation

Application Form

-

PICO Confirmation

Final Protocol (PDF 6843 KB)
Final Protocol (Word 1199 KB)

Assessment Report

Final Contracted Assessment Report (PDF 3831 KB)
Final Contracted Assessment Report (Word 1819 KB)

Public Summary Document

Public Summary Document (PDF 235 KB)
Public Summary Document (Word 103 KB)

Meetings for this Application

PASC

13 - 14 August 2015

ESC

6 - 7 October 2016

MSAC

24 - 25 November 2016