Treating cancer by minimally invasive means allows a patient to avoid traditional open surgery. In conjunction with the actual treatment, imaging technology is often used to precisely target malignant tissue. Minimally invasive oncologic treatment is effective for many types of cancer and minimizes the pain, scarring, and tissue damage that are often the result of open surgery. Biopsy, ablation, chemoembolization, and immunotherapy are all minimally invasive ways of addressing malignancies.
Biopsy
A biopsy is a procedure in which tissue is removed from a solid mass to determine whether the mass is cancerous. A biopsy is usually performed with imaging guidance to ensure that tissue is removed from the correct area. Small tumors can be completely removed during a biopsy, making it both a diagnostic and a treatment tool.
Tumor Ablation
Tumor ablation removes tumors and associated cancerous cells from soft tissue through minimally invasive, image-guided procedures. Usually performed on an outpatient basis while the patient is under general anesthesia or conscious sedation, there are several different types of tumor ablation. One of the most common is radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat energy to destroy cancer cells. A needle electrode is inserted into the skin at the tumor site; radiofrequency energy is then used to heat and destroy the tumor.
Chemoembolization
Chemoembolization combines chemotherapy with embolization. A highly concentrated dose of an anticancer drug, along with an embolic agent (a synthetic material that blocks blood flow in blood vessels), is injected directly into blood vessels that feed the tumor. The drug shrinks or destroys the tumor; the embolic agent cuts off the tumor’s blood supply. Chemoembolization can be combined with other treatments such as radiation therapy or radiofrequency ablation for maximum effectiveness.