Microwave ablation therapy for treating primary and secondary lung tumours: technical note.

Purpose. The purpose of our study was to retrospectively evaluate the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of microwave ablation (MWA) in nine patients with unresectable lung tumour. Materials and methods. Ten lesions were treated in ten ablation sessions in nine patients. The treatments were performed with a microwave generator with 45 W and 915 MHz connected to a 14.5-gauge antenna for 10 min. Antenna placement was performed with computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopy guidance or XperGuide. All patients underwent CT follow-up at 1, 3 and 6 months from the procedure. Results. Technical success was obtained in all cases; mortality at 30 days was 0%. Conclusions. This study shows that in selected patients, MWA is a valid alternative to other ablative techniques. Further studies are required to demonstrate the short- and long-term effects of this technique and to make a comparison with other available ablation systems, especially with radiofrequency.