The doctor inserts a thin, needle electrode through a tiny puncture in the skin with guidance from CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound.
Microwave ablation and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are effective cancer treatments that can shrink or eliminate ("ablate") tumors by destroying them with heat. Cryoablation can ablate tumors by freezing them. Together, they are known as image-guided tumor ablation, or IGTA. The doctor inserts a thin needle electrode through a tiny puncture in the skin with guidance from CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound. Energy is then delivered to the tumor. The procedure can be performed with intravenous sedation on an outpatient basis.
There is less trauma to adjacent tissues, and the risks of infection or blood loss are much lower than with conventional surgery. In the months following tumor ablation, the dead tumor cells are eliminated through the body's natural healing process.
Tumor ablation is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is considered very safe.