CIRSE Standards of Practice on Thermal Ablation of Primary and Secondary Lung Tumours

Excerpt

The widespread use of imaging and the introduction of screening campaigns have dramatically increased the rate of early detection of primary lung cancers and lung metastases, which can be treated with a curative intent [1]. Although historically the treatment of lung tumours has relied on surgery, the increased proportion of patients with comorbidities or other reasons for inoperability has given popularity to less invasive therapeutic options, such as stereotactic radiotherapy (SABR—stereotactic ablative body radiosurgery or SBRT—stereotactic body radiotherapy) and thermal ablation [1, 2]. The rationale of ablative therapies is the focused application of energy to eradicate or substantially destroy focal tumours, which is less invasive than surgical removal. Image-guided percutaneous thermal ablation therapies are established techniques in the local treatment of hepatic, renal or osseous tumours [3‐8] and thyroid or uterine benign nodules [9, 10]. These therapies produce irreversible tumour tissue destruction through application of either hot or cold thermal energy. …