Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 21, 2026
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
Radiofrequency ablation and thyroid cancer: review of the current literature
Haris Muhammad1, Aniqa Tehreem2, Jonathon O Russell1
1Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore 21287, MD, USA.
Background:
Thyroid nodules are commonly being diagnosed in general population and have a potential for malignant transformation. Historically, surgery has been considered as the first line treatment for these tumors. However, with passage of time newer minimally invasive techniques such as RFA (radiofrequency ablation) has been adapted. Though, RFA for thyroid tumors has been performed more commonly in Asian and European countries, it is a fairly new technique in North America. The aim of the review is to assess the current data and conclude that whether RFA is likely a valuable option when compared to surgery for treatment of thyroid tumors.
Materials And Methods:
A Comprehensive PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science search was performed. To expand our search, references of the retrieved articles were also screened for additional data. After selecting the studies that fulfilled the initial screening, authors independently reviewed the selected studies and screened the full texts to identify those that met the inclusion criteria.
Results:
The comprehensive literature search from PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases revealed 1094 studies (Embase 870, PubMed 200, and Web of Science 24). References were imported for screening. Amongst 1094 studies, 138 duplicates removed, and 956 studies were screened against title and abstract. After these 777 studies were excluded the remaining 179 studies were assessed for full-text eligibility. Amongst them 127 studies excluded due to wrong design or setting. Finally, 18 studies were included in the review.
Conclusion:
RFA appears to be a safe alternative to surgery in selected cases. However, it is not widely used and there are few randomized controlled trials. Furthermore, it is associated with a low risk profile and has shown promising results in patients who are difficult surgery candidates. Currently large-scale prospective studies are needed in North America to establish the efficacy of RFA and its use as an alternative to surgery for thyroid tumors.
More Related Videos
04:58Reduced Procedure Time and Variability with Active Esophageal Cooling During Radiofrequency Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: August 25, 2022
05:43Author Spotlight: Improving Lesion Contiguity in Pulmonary Vein Isolation via Proactive Esophageal Cooling
Published on: April 19, 2024
