Optimization in Radiofrequency Ablation

In cases when the state of health of the patient or the complicated location of the tumor does not permit surgery, tumor ablation is a minimally invasive therapy alternative. By placing a thin, needle-shaped applicator through the skin inside the tumor, the cancerous cells can be destroyed by locally heating or freezing the volume around the applicator.

It is highly important to completely destroy the tumour in RFA because surviving cells may develop resistance towards heat and promote more aggressive tumour growth. In order to provide more assurance for doctors, the Medical Therapy Planning (MTP) group and colleagues at the Fraunhofer Institute for Medical Image Computing MEVIS develop an imaging-based planning system for patient-individual planning of RFA therapy.