Microwave ablation for primary or metastatic cancer in the lung

The procedure is usually done using general anaesthesia, and occasionally using local anaesthesia and sedation. Under imaging guidance, a small probe is advanced through the chest wall and into each targeted lesion. It delivers high-frequency microwave energy to rapidly agitate water molecules in the tissues. This converts energy into heat, which causes tumour necrosis. Patients with larger tumours or multiple lesions may have multiple pulses of energy delivered within a treatment session or have a staged treatment with multiple sessions.

This procedure aims to destroy tumour cells and create localised areas of tissue necrosis with minimal damage to surrounding normal tissues. Microwave ablation is a minimally invasive procedure. It usually lasts 1 to 2 hours with only 5 to 10 minutes of active ablation time.