Doctors, surgeons and researchers from the Imaging Theme of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford are looking into the effectiveness of using ablation as another treatment option for lung, liver and renal tumours.
Microwave Ablation is used to treat small tumors by passing a needle-like probe inside the tumour. The microwaves released from the probe increase the temperature within tumour tissue that results in cell death.
Professor Fergus Gleeson and Dr Mark Anderson, consultant radiologists have been using the new system at the Oxford University Hospitals and believe it could substantially improve cancer care in some patients. They are also using high-tech scanners, in a clinical trial following ablation treatment, to ensure the cancer cells have been destroyed.
The team, based at the Churchill Hospital, have been working with Hampshire-based Microsulis Medical using their Acculis MTA system which can destroy tumours up to 4-5cms in size in six minutes.
Professor Gleeson said: “This is a fantastic development. It will kill small tumours in minutes and we are examining how it can improve survival by reducing cancer mass in large tumours.
“We would like this to be more widely available to patients in the UK. We believe it may potentially save thousands of lives each year.”