• Pain intensity as assessed by the Memorial Pain Assessment Cards [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Pain relief [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Pain severity [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Mood [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

• Pain intensity as assessed by the Memorial Pain Assessment Cards
• Pain relief
• Pain severity
• Mood

RATIONALE: Radiofrequency ablation may be effective in decreasing pain from bone metastases.

PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation in decreasing pain in patients who have bone metastases.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the side effects of radiofrequency ablation in patients with bone metastases.
• Determine the effect of this regimen on pain in these patients.
• Determine the effect of this regimen on mood in these patients.
• Determine the effects of narcotic usage in patients treated with this regimen.
• Determine the relationship between laboratory and imaging features of this treatment and the effects of the treatment in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients undergo percutaneous CT-guided radiofrequency ablation directly to the metastatic lesion over approximately 12 minutes.

Pain and mood are assessed at baseline, daily for 14 days after treatment, and at 1 and 3 months after treatment.

Patients are followed at 1 week and then at 1 and 3 months.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 75 patients will be accrued for this study within 12.5 months.

• Metastatic Cancer
• Pain
• Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

• Procedure: pain therapy
• Procedure: radiofrequency ablation

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed malignant disease with a bone lesion that appears to be metastatic disease by clinical and/or imaging techniques
• Persistent intractable pain from a solitary site of bone metastases (greater than 5 on pain scale of 0-10)
• Bone metastasis must be amenable to radiofrequency ablation using a percutaneous CT-guided approach
• Bone metastasis must be no greater than 8 cm
• No tumor mass in contact with hollow viscera
• No primary musculoskeletal malignancies, lymphoma, or leukemia
• No spinal metastases that do not have an intact cortex between the mass and the spinal canal and exiting nerve roots
• No tumor involving weight-bearing long bone of lower extremity or impending fracture

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 21 and over

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Platelet count at least 70,000/mm^3
• No uncontrolled coagulopathy or bleeding diathesis that cannot be corrected with fresh frozen plasma and platelets

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

Cardiovascular:

• No pacemaker

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• At least 14 days since prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease
• No concurrent systemic chemotherapy for metastatic disease during and for 14 days after study therapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• At least 30 days since prior radioisotopes for metastatic disease
• No concurrent systemic radioisotopes for metastatic disease

Surgery:

• No surgical stabilization of tumor site with metallic hardware

Other:

• Prior aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, antiplatelet medications, or warfarin must be discontinued for an appropriate period of time prior to study based on the drug's half-life and known antiplatelet activity (e.g., 7 days for aspirin and 24 hours for ibuprofen)
• At least 24 hours since prior low molecular weight heparin