Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound for patients with painful bone metastases: phase III trial results.

Background: Pain due to bone metastases is a common cause of cancer-related morbidity, with few options available for patients refractory to medical therapies and who do not respond to radiation therapy. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS), a noninvasive method of thermal tissue ablation for palliation of pain due to bone metastases.

Methods: Patients with painful bone metastases were randomly assigned 3:1 to receive MRgFUS sonication or placebo.