Tumor Ablation

Tumor ablation is an effective, minimally invasive procedure to treat cancer. Special probes guided by a CT, ultrasound or MRI are used to burn or freeze cancers. Burning the tumor is done with microwave or radiofrequency ablation, which increases the temperature of the tumor to kill cancer cells. Freezing is done with cryoablation which decreases the temperature of the tumor to kill the cancer cells.

Often these procedures are done by interventional radiologists, who are able to treat cancer in patients who can't have a traditional surgery, have small tumors in certain places in the body or who have exhausted other treatment options.

Tumor ablation is used to treat:

• Colorectal cancer
• Lung cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer

Embolization

Embolization is a cancer treatment where an interventional radiologist uses blood vessels to send targeted drugs (chemoembolization) or radiation (radioembolization) directly to tumors.

Benefits of Ablation and Embolization

Both tumor ablation and embolization are outpatient procedures that offer faster recovery and fewer side effects than many other cancer treatments. They're also a good option for patients who are not eligible for surgery, including most liver cancer patients.