Precision oncology: The role of minimally-invasive ablation therapy in the management of solid organ tumors

Table 3 Analysis of ablation techniques in specific anatomic locations

Tumor location	Ablation technique	Technical challenges	Special considerations	Clinical outcomes
Liver	RFA, MWA, CA, HIFU, histotripsy	Proximity to major blood vessels, risk of bile duct injury/fistula	Need for real-time imaging guidance (universal consideration), risk of incomplete ablation	High response rate for small tumors, varies with tumor size and location
Lung	RFA, MWA, CA, experimental (HIFU, histotripsy)	Air-filled lung tissue provides poor acoustic access, risk of pneumothorax/effusion/fistula	Requirement for minimizing patient motion with respiration, use of adjunctive therapies to enhance efficacy	High technical success rate, varies with tumor size and location, high innovation to overcome acoustic access limitations
Kidney	RFA, MWA, CA, experimental (HIFU, histotripsy)	Proximity to adrenal gland, renal pelvis, and major blood vessels, risk of urinary tract injury	Need for careful post-procedural monitoring of vitals and chemistries	High technical success rate, lower recurrence with longer follow-up
Soft tissue	RFA, MWA, CA, HIFU, histotripsy	Involvement with muscle tissue, difficulty in achieving complete ablation without damaging surrounding structures, locally invasive	High recurrence rate, need for combination with systemic therapies and long-term management	High response rate in small studies, varies with tumor location and previous treatments, high success rate with disease burden reduction and quality of life improvement

RFA: Radiofrequency ablation; MWA: Microwave ablation; CA: Cryoablation; HIFU: High-intensity focused ultrasound.