Patient Information: The Future of Tumor Ablation Therapies

RFA and other tumor ablation therapies are already widely used to treat liver tumors and to eliminate painful bone tumors. RFA treatment of liver tumors has been approved by the FDA for almost a decade, and some researchers recommend that RFA be the first-line treatment for tumors in that organ.

Researchers are currently studying the use of RFA and other tumor ablation methods for the following areas:
• Kidney
• Lung
• Breast
• Prostate
• Adrenal glands

The National Institutes of Health is conducting studies on RFA for the treatment of liver and kidney tumors and is also testing the efficacy of different equipment.