Ablative Techniques for Image-Guided Thermal Ablation

Abstract

Percutaneous image-guided thermal ablation is an established form of treatment of small volume hepato-pancreatico-biliary (HPB) tumors with very satisfactory results over the last three decades. Purpose of this article is to offer a brief overview of the history of thermal ablation and the currently available technology that interventional radiologists have in their armamentarium to offer minimally invasive thermally for HPB cancer.

Gel Phantom Models for Radiofrequency and Microwave Ablation of the Liver

“…Heat-based ablations, including radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA), have emerged as effective therapies for the minimally invasive treatment of solid tumors in a wide variety of organs, including liver, kidney, and bone. 1 Within the liver, RFA and MWA have emerged as the dominant modalities for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as a broad variety of other tumors types including cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic tumors. The ability to provide a curative therapy depends on the ability for the ablation zone to completely overlap the tumor boundaries plus an additional margin of surrounding normal parenchyma to ensure destruction of microscopic extension.…”