Overview
RadioFrequency Ablation (RFA) and Microwave ablation are procedures that use high-energy sources to burn and destroy cancers in the liver.
How does it work?
These procedures are performed surgically or under image guidance (such CT scan or ultrasound). Both procedures can be performed laparoscopically (small incisions) but can also be done through an open procedure as the sole procedure or along with a liver resection.
Your treatment team inserts a thin, needle-like probe into the tumor. With the use of guided imaging such as ultrasound, the probe tip is inserted into the center of the tumor and then passes energy currents (radiofrequency energy or microwave energy) inside the tumor and destroys the cancer cells. In microwave ablation, microwaves (another form of energy) are transmitted through the probe to heat and destroy the abnormal tissue. These procedures are common treatment methods for small tumors or multiple tumors and are often used in patients for whom surgical resection or surgical resection alone is not an option.