This guidance replaces previous guidance on percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of renal cancer (interventional procedures guidance 91).
Current evidence on the safety and efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for renal cancer in the short and medium term appears adequate to support the use of this procedure provided that normal arrangements are in place for clinical governance, consent and audit, and provided that patients are followed up in the long term.
Patient selection for percutaneous RFA for renal cancer should be carried out by a urological cancer multidisciplinary team.
NICE encourages data collection to provide information about the outcomes of this procedure in the long term. Further research should compare the long-term outcomes of RFA with those of other treatments for renal cancer.