ABSTRACT
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been introduced as a minimally invasive therapy for patients with lung cancer and lung metastases. Patients with peripheral lung tumors invading the chest wall and causing pain that is unresponsive to analgesia are considered candidates for RFA for palliation of symptoms. The lower morbidity and mortality of RFA compared with other forms of treatment, the lower procedure costs and ability to perform the ablation in an outpatient setting have resulted in great interest from patients and clinicians. The RFA of the lung produces larger ablation diameters than RFA of the liver or kidney, presumably due to the insulating effect of air. There are a number of clinical studies describing the techniques, imaging findings, and outcomes for lung RFA for the treatment of lung cancers and metastatic disease. Radiotherapy and RFA are postulated to have a synergistic effect; RFA works best on the center of a lesion, where relative hypoxia makes radiotherapy least effective.
