Percutaneous Image-Guided Ablative Therapy

Percutaneous image-guided ablative therapy is a minimally invasive treatment for primary or secondary malignancies of the lung. This treatment option is especially useful for patients who cannot undergo surgery due to comorbidities or limited pulmonary reserve. Because most ablative procedures can be performed under conscious sedation and in the outpatient setting, patients can recover and be discharged sooner than if they underwent surgery. Current modalities include radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), and cryoablation. Treatments can be effective with palliating symptoms, increasing survival, and even potentially curing thoracic malignancies.