New Treatment Methods in Cancer

In RF ablation and microwave ablation treatments, a needle is inserted into the center of the tumor, accompanied by ultrasound and computed tomography imaging, and the tumor is vaporized using heat. To ensure complete tumor destruction, this heat vaporization is applied to a wide area, approximately 1 cm outside the tumor diameter. After a short observation period, the patient can return home on foot the same day or the following day.

RF ablation and microwave ablation are similar methods. RF uses electric current, while microwave ablation uses radiofrequency energy. RF ablation is preferred for treating cancers smaller than 3 cm in diameter in the liver or other solid organs, while microwave ablation is preferred for masses larger than 3 cm in diameter.

Cryoablation is an ablation method that destroys the cancer by freezing, not heating. To create this freezing effect, very high-pressure argon gas is passed through the cryoablation needle and released at the very tip of the needle. The argon gas cools the cancerous tissue to -40 to -80 degrees Celsius, creating an ice ball. This phenomenon, called the Joule-Thompson effect, causes ice crystals to form in the tumor, blocking blood vessels and causing widespread tissue death through apoptosis.