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Treatments we provide

Tumour Ablation

What is tumour ablation?

Tumour ablation is a minimally invasive technique that is used to treat tumours of the bone, lung, liver, and kidney. The tumour is directly targeted and destroyed using heat energy delivered by a special needle. There are minimal side effects and it’s a safe and effective treatment option for certain tumours.

Initially, tumour ablation was mostly used to treat the liver, however, it can appropriately treat various types of cancer. There is a wide range of prognosis and behaviour depending on the type of cancer diagnosed. For some patients based on their medical history, the number, size and location of the tumours, ablation is the best treatment option. Tumour ablation can be used to control the spread of cancer even if new tumours appear, it can also be used several times if required to reduce the symptoms of the tumour or to keep it under control. In some cases, it can be curative.

Procedure

Tumour ablation is performed under a general anaesthetic and often requires an overnight stay. Under image guidance, a tumour is located and a specialised needle probe is guided into it. The tumour is targeted, its cells are destroyed using microwave, alcohol, radio waves or freezing agents sent through the probe.

Benefits

Benefits of tumour ablation include:

  • Lower risk of complications when compared to surgery
  • Option for repeat treatment
  • No surgical scarring
  • Fast recovery time
  • An alternative to surgery if you are not suitable

Risks

Though there are good benefits to tumour ablation, there are potential risks and limitations associated with it.

  • It cannot treat some small cancerous tumours
  • It does not work well for large tumours
  • The destroyed tumour can sometimes become infected
  • Surrounding organs may be damaged by the heat energy

Recovery

When compared to surgery, the recovery for a tumour ablation is much faster. It is normal to feel tired in the days following the procedure and it is important to refrain from physical activities such as exercising and heavy lifting for at least a week.

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