image: Damian Dupuy, M.D., director of ablation services in the diagnostic imaging department at Rhode Island Hospital, is the recipient of the Publications Merit Award from the American College of Radiology Imaging Network. view more
Credit: Rhode Island Hospital
PROVIDENCE, RI – Damian Dupuy, MD, of Rhode Island Hospital, is the recipient of the Publications Merit Award from the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN). Dupuy received the award for leading a multi-center study on the use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to reduce the pain of osseous metastases (cancer that spread to the bone). The award recognizes a scientific paper published during the previous year that stands out from other ACRIN publications in the caliber of the research and the research results.
Dupuy, director of ablation services in the diagnostic imaging department at Rhode Island Hospital, is an interventional radiologist and a pioneer in RFA, an image-guided technology that uses heat to kill, or ablate, tumor cells. First developed and approved for ablation of liver tumors, Dupuy has led the way in expanding its uses to treat tumors in many other regions, including lung, adrenal, kidney, thyroid and bone. In a first of its kind study, Dupuy led other physician researchers with ACRIN in a study to test the effectiveness and safety of RFA in reducing the pain of bone metastases.
Metastatic cancer of the bone is a painful condition with either local or radiating pain. Despite the availability of effective treatments, many studies have documented that the treatment of pain in cancer patients is not always completely effective. As a result, many patients live with pain that can affect their mood and quality of life, and may require increasing doses of narcotics for pain management. Dupuy led the multi-center study, which found that image-guided RFA is a safe and effective treatment for reducing the pain associated with bone metastases. Their findings were reported in the paper "Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation of Painful Osseous Metastases," which was published in the journal Cancer. ACRIN selected this paper to receive the Publications Merit Award.
John Cronan, MD, is the chief of diagnostic imaging at Rhode Island Hospital. Cronan says, "The Publications Merit Award from ACRIN is a true honor, and we could not be more pleased that the award was presented to our own Dr. Dupuy. His expertise and willingness to continue to expand the uses of this technology to improve quality of life for so many people is not only award-worthy, but it has changed the face of medicine as we know it." Cronan adds, "We feel very fortunate to have a physician like Dr. Dupuy among the medical staff at Rhode Island Hospital."
Dupuy says, "It is very gratifying to be able to expand the uses of RFA once again to alleviate pain when other means do not suffice. I'm honored to accept this recognition from ACRIN because the study found that we can help improve the quality of life for people with metastatic bone cancer. That, in itself, is the real reward."
A steering committee of ACRIN members selects each year's award winner based on the following selection criteria:
- Published research that has had a demonstrably significant impact related to ACRIN's overarching goals: through clinical trials of diagnostic imaging and image-guided therapeutics technologies, ACRIN seeks to disseminate scientific information that
- improves the length and quality of cancer patients' lives
- results in the earlier diagnosis of cancer
- demonstrates careful investigation
- Is well written, lucid, and clearly describes how the results should be interpreted for clinical practice.
Dupuy will receive his award at the ACRIN annual meeting later this month.
About Rhode Island Hospital
Founded in 1863, Rhode Island Hospital (www.rhodeislandhospital.org) in Providence, RI, is a private, not-for-profit hospital, is the largest teaching hospital of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and a founding member of the Lifespan health system. A major trauma center for southeastern New England, the hospital is dedicated to being on the cutting edge of medicine and research and receives nearly $50 million each year in external research funding. It is home to Hasbro Children's Hospital, the state's only facility dedicated to pediatric care, which is ranked among the top 30 children's hospitals in the country by Parents magazine