Fazlollahi F, Makary MS. Precision oncology: The role of minimally-invasive ablation therapy in the management of solid organ tumors. World J Radiol 2025; 17(1): 98618 [PMID: 39876886 DOI: 10.4329/wjr.v17.i1.98618]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Mina S Makary, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Radiology, The Ohio State University Medical Center, 395 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, United States. mina.makary@osumc.edu
Research Domain of This Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Radiol. Jan 28, 2025; 17(1): 98618 Published online Jan 28, 2025. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v17.i1.98618
Precision oncology: The role of minimally-invasive ablation therapy in the management of solid organ tumors
Farbod Fazlollahi, Mina S Makary
Farbod Fazlollahi, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
Mina S Makary, Department of Radiology, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
Author contributions: All authors contributed meaningfully to the preparation of the manuscript. Fazlollahi F and Makary MS conceptualized and designed the study; Fazlollahi F conducted the literature review, did the analysis, drafted the original manuscript, and made critical revisions; Makary MS supervised the review, advised the review design, and critically revised the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mina S Makary, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Radiology, The Ohio State University Medical Center, 395 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, United States. mina.makary@osumc.edu
Received: July 1, 2024 Revised: December 16, 2024 Accepted: January 18, 2025 Published online: January 28, 2025 Processing time: 204 Days and 8.4 Hours
Abstract
Solid organ tumors present a significant healthcare challenge, both economically and logistically, due to their high incidence and treatment complexity. In 2023, out of the 1.9 million new cancer cases in the United States, over 73% were solid organ tumors. Ablative therapies offer minimally invasive solutions for malignant tissue destruction in situ, often with reduced cost and morbidity compared to surgical resection. This review examines the current Food and Drug Administration-approved locoregional ablative therapies (radiofrequency, microwave, cryogenic, high-intensity focused ultrasound, histotripsy) and their evolving role in cancer care. Data were collected through a comprehensive survey of the PubMed-indexed literature on tumor ablation techniques, their clinical indications, and outcomes. Over time, emerging clinical data will help establish these therapies as the standard of care in solid organ tumor treatment, supported by improved long-term outcomes and progression-free survival.
Core Tip: Minimally invasive tumor ablation techniques, including radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, cryoablation, high-intensity focused ultrasound, and histotripsy offer substantial benefits in treating solid organ tumors. These techniques provide effective localized treatment that minimizes damage to surrounding tissues, reduces recovery times, and enhances patient outcomes. Their evolving role in precision oncology demonstrates the potential to tailor interventions to individual patient needs, significantly improving therapeutic efficacy and patient care.
