Microwave Cancer Treatment

Although the term "microwave cancer treatment" has a bad ring to it, as though it's some quack therapy, this is not the case. Microwave cancer treatment refers to a method of treating some cancers using microwave ablation.

Microwave ablation uses microwave energy directed through a very narrow microwave antenna that doctors place directly within the patient's tumor.

When microwaves are sent through the antenna, they create heat. This heat ablates or destroys the patient's diseased tumor cells and tissue.

Targeted Therapy

Unlike systemic therapies in cancer treatment, such as infusion chemotherapy or many forms of radiotherapy, which often harm healthy cells along with tumor cells, microwave ablation is a locally, targeted therapy that can preserve much of the healthy tissue surrounding a tumor while killing a good portion of the tumor.

Microwave ablation is not regarded as a cure. It is effective at reducing tumor size, which can relieve symptoms caused by an enlarged tumor. Reducing a tumor size can also make some patients candidates for surgical intervention who may not have been candidates prior to microwave treatment.

The Process

Receiving microwave ablation therapy is an outpatient procedure that may require some IV sedatives. Most patients do not even need general anesthesia.

Patients are instructed to be still while positioned on an exam table and connected to a heart monitor. They may also have an IV inserted into their hand or arm.

The procedure itself involves a trained physician using a CT scan to locate the position of the tumor. Once located, the patient is prepped to receive probes that are inserted into the body and into the tumor through an incision in the skin. The CT helps the doctor find the perfect place to insert the microwave antenna.

The entire procedure can take anywhere from one to three hours.

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