Delaney Radiologists

Radiofrequency Tumor Ablation (RFA)

Ablation is a medical term that refers to any procedure performed to destroy diseased or damaged tissue in the body. Catheter ablation is a technique in which a thin tube, or catheter, is inserted through the skin or threaded through the blood vessels to the site of disease. Extreme heat (radiofrequency) or cold (cryotherapy), alcohol, chemotherapy drugs, or other therapies are delivered through the catheter to the diseased tissue.

Radiofrequency Tumor Ablation Facts

RFA treats disease with heat. A technique preferred by many cancer experts because it can reliably destroy a small, targeted area of tissue without healthy affecting structures beyond the treatment site. With RFA, the doctor can pinpoint target areas with accuracy and monitor and control the temperature of heat therapy.

RF is a form of electromagnetic (EM) energy. RFA is formed from waves of electric and magnetic energy moving together (or radiating) through space at the speed of light. This type of energy is a constant presence in our natural environment – visible light, radio waves and microwaves, for example, are forms of EM energy.

Electromagnetic energy is “non-ionizing”. This means it is not strong enough to ionize atoms and molecules in cells (ions are electrically charged particles that, like magnets, are drawn toward positive or negative poles). “Ionizing” radiation (e.g. gamma rays and x-rays), on the other hand, can affect the chemical makeup of cells, and alter their genetic code.

Radiofrequency energy is safer than many cancer therapies. It is absorbed by living tissues as simple heat. Regardless of the heat source, cells will die when they reach a certain temperature. But RF energy and the heat it generates do not alter the basic chemical structure of cells.

After RFA, computed tomography (CT) magnetic resonance (MR) or other images are taken to be certain that the treatment has been effective. If all diseased tissue has not been destroyed, RFA usually can be repeated. During the first week after treatment, the dead tumor will seem to have “grown” in size. Over time, the dead tissue shrinks or disappears altogether as it is gradually absorbed and excreted like other waste products in the body.

For more information about radiofrequency tumor ablation, go to the Society of Interventional Radiology RFA website.

[to top]