title: Lung cancer and radiofrequency ablation.
abstract: Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is a recently developed technique for image-guided local destruction of selected tumors. Because the lung is a common site for cancer and usually has substantial functional reserve, RF ablation of lung cancers is an attractive option for minimally invasive treatment. The primary goal of the present review is to describe the natural history, staging systems, and conventional therapies for primary and secondary treatment of lung cancer, as well as the results of RF ablation in animal models and in humans for pulmonary applications, to clarify the appropriate role and limitations of this technology. The secondary goals are to review the principles of how RF works and to describe RF ablation techniques to familiarize interventionalists who may consider incorporating this technology into their practice and inform diagnostic radiologists of expected imaging findings and clinicians of their patients' anticipated courses and outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego Medical Center, 200 West Arbor Drive, San Diego, California 92103, USA. scrose@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Thistlethwaite
authors.forename: Patrick E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Sewell
authors.forename: Ralph B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Vance
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018579:Patient Selection; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed