Radio-frequency ablation

Surgical removal of the malignancy is the preferred primary treatment for many lung cancer patients. For those patients for whom surgery is not a good option, a procedure known as radio-frequency ablation (RFA) offers some hope--for treating boththe tumor in the lung and the organ or site to which the lung cancer has spread.

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RFA is a minimally invasive procedure in which imaging tools such as CT scanning are used to direct a special probe to the site of disease. From these probes, a series of prongs are deployed in an umbrellalike fashion into the malignancy. Radio-frequency energy, which heats and kills cells, is then delivered directly into the tumor. In some patients, 100 percent of the tumor is destroyed. In others with tumors smaller than 5 centimeters, tumor growth can be halted or controlled, which can bring symptom relief, among other benefits. This technique is still in its infancy, however, and cannot substitute for other, standard treatment options, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy.