Microwave ablation
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| Microwave ablation | |
|---|---|
| Other names | MWA |
| Specialty | Interventional radiology, oncology |
Microwave ablation is a form of thermal ablation used in interventional radiology to treat cancer. MWA uses electromagnetic waves in the microwave energy spectrum (300 MHz to 300 GHz) to produce tissue-heating effects. The oscillation of polar molecules produces frictional heating, ultimately generating tissue necrosis within solid tumors. It is generally used for the treatment and/or palliation of solid tumors in patients who are nonsurgical candidate.
For isolated, nonmetastatic lung tumors, surgical resection remains the reference standard for treatment. However, many patients are precluded from surgery due to poor cardiopulmonary function, advanced age, or extensive disease burden. For these patients, minimally invasive therapeutic options such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation have emerged as possible alternatives.
Tumor ablation of thoracic malignancies should be considered a viable treatment option for patients with early stage, primary or secondary lung cancers who are not surgical candidates or for patients in whom palliation of tumor related symptoms is the intent. MWA is regarded as a particularly efficient option for the treatment of lung tumors since unlike RFA it does not rely on impedance to generate heat, rather electromagnetic microwave waves heat matter by agitating water molecules in the surrounding tissue, producing friction and heat.
Another common use for microwave ablation is the treatment of liver tumors. For nonsurgical patients, local thermal ablation techniques have enabled local control of tumors without resection. In particular, this therapy has grown in use for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, since many patients present with advanced disease or compromised liver function.
Clinical applications of MWA have also included treatment of renal, adrenal, and bone malignancies. The goals of ablation of thoracic malignancies include: 1. Ablating the entire tumor and a margin of normal parenchyma surrounding it 2. Avoiding injury to critical structures 3. Creating a large ablation area quickly.
Adverse effects
The most common adverse effects of MWA for lung tumors include pain, fever, pneumothorax, and pleural effusions.[6-12] Rib fractures, following thermal ablation, particularly MWA, have been newly noted in the literature.[13]
One of the limitations of thermal-based ablation therapies, including MWA, is the risk of marginal recurrences and/or residual disease. Residual or recurrent tumor is particularly likely in areas adjacent to heat sinks, such as larger blood vessels or airways. Theoretically, the greater heat intensity generated in MWA compared to other thermal modalities should allow for more complete ablations in larger tumors and thus decreased incidence of residual disease or recurrence at the tumor margins.[3]