A study of patients with kidney cancer has shown that radiofrequency ablation, a minimally invasive, kidney-sparing procedure, can be a successful treatment option for patients whose cancer has not spread beyond the kidney, report researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Results from the three year study, which evaluated 22 patients who received the treatment, are published in the July issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology. The treatment uses computed tomography to guide the placement of a special needle-shaped electrode into the tumor. A radiofrequency current is then passed through the electrode to heat the tumor tissue and ablate – or eliminate – it.
