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Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Thermal Ablation for the Treatment of Abdominal Tumors
Published on: March 7, 2011
Efficacy and Safety of Thermal Ablation for Follicular Thyroid Neoplasms: A Multicenter Retrospective Study with
Yu-Tong Liu1, Bo-Qiang Fan2, Jun-Feng He3
1China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China (Y.T.L.).
Rationale And Objectives:
Thermal ablation (TA) has emerged as an alternative treatment for follicular thyroid neoplasms (FTNs), but long-term outcome data are limited. This study aims to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of TA for FTNs.
Materials And Methods:
This multicenter retrospective study was conducted between January 2014 and January 2023 across nine hospitals in China. Patients with FTNs were categorized into two groups based on the type of TA received as follows: microwave ablation (MWA) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to compare disease progression and tumor disappearance between the MWA and RFA groups.
Results:
This study included 174 patients with FTNs who underwent TA with a follow-up of over 5 years (median age, 40 years [IQR: 31-52]; 144 females). Among them, 116 patients (median age, 41 years [IQR: 31-54]; 97 females) received MWA, and 58 patients (median age, 38 years [IQR: 32-47]; 47 females) received RFA. The median volume reduction ratio at the last follow-up was 91.8% (IQR: 80.6-97.6%). The tumor disappearance rate was 19.0%, comprising 21.6% in the MWA group and 13.8% in the RFA group (P=0.39). Disease progression occurred in 12.1% of patients, with no significant difference in disease-free survival between the MWA and RFA groups (79.7% vs. 85.9%, P=0.850). Transient hoarseness was the only observed complication, occurring in 0.6% of cases, with an incidence of 0% in the MWA group and 1.7% in the RFA group (P=0.333).
Conclusion:
TA may be a safe and effective long-term treatment option for FTNs.
