| Abstract: |
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was first described with use of a modified Bovie knife in the liver in animal studies published in 1990. Subsequent descriptions of successful ablation of liver tumors in the mid-1990s elicited interest in using the technique in other organs. RFA in the lung was first found to be safe and efficacious in animal studies in both health lung and VX2 sarcomas in the lungs of rabbits. Successful use of RFA for lung tumors in humans was described in 2000 in a study of patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). RFA has since been adopted as a treatment alternative for patients with early-stage NSCLC who are unable to undergo surgical resections. Since the initial identification of RFA as the prototypical thermal ablation technique, it has been joined by microwave ablation, cryoablation, and, more recently, irreversible electroporation as potential options for tumor ablation. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
