Tumor ablation with radio-frequency energy

Tumor ablation by using radio-frequency energy has begun to receive increased attention as an effective minimally invasive approach for the treatment of patients with a variety of primary and secondary malignant neoplasms. To date, these techniques have been used to treat tumors located in the brain, musculoskeletal system, thyroid and parathyroid glands, pancreas, kidney, lung, and breast; however, liver tumor ablation has received the greatest attention and has been the subject of a large number of published reports. In this article, the authors review the technical developments and early laboratory results obtained with radio-frequency ablation techniques, describe some of the early clinical applications of these techniques, and conclude with a discussion of challenges and opportunities for the future.