What is Ablation Therapy

Ablation therapy is a minimally invasive cancer treatment that destroys small tumours and there are two main types used to treat kidney cancer:

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA). An electric current is used to make high-energy waves that heat and kill cancer cells. This is the type of ablation therapy most often used for kidney cancer.
Extremely cold gas is put right into the tumour to freeze and kill cancer cells.
We have a very informative video from Dr. David Breen talking all about ablation therapy HERE

Both are treatments are delivered by putting a needle-like probe into the tumour. In most cases, the probe is put in through your skin. An ultrasound, MRI scan, or CT scan is used to guide it into the tumour and then watch and control the damage that’s done. Ablation therapy doesn’t cause a lot of damage to nearby tissues. But sometimes more than one treatment is needed.

When might radiofrequency ablation (RFA) be used?

Your healthcare team may advise RFA if:

You have only one kidney.
Your kidney without the tumour isn’t working well.
You have other health conditions that make you unable to have surgery.
You’re an older adult and surgery would be too hard on your body.
The tumour is small (large enough to be seen on medical imaging but not larger than 4 cm or 1 ½ inches).
The cancer is on the surface of the kidney and not too close to other organs.
The cancer has spread to other organs, such as your lungs or liver.
You have cancer that has come back, or you have more than one kidney tumour.
You have a family history of multiple kidney tumours.
You’ll have surgery but need RFA first to treat the tumour area to help prevent bleeding during surgery. (The heat closes the small blood vessels around the tumour.)

When might cryoablation (cryotherapy) be used?

Your healthcare team may advise cryoablation if one or more of the following applies to you:
Your tumour is small (large enough to be seen on medical imaging but not larger than 4 cm or 1 ½ inches).
You’re an older adult and surgery would be too hard on your body.
You have only one kidney.

Can I request ablation?

Yes, you can speak to your consultant about ablation but remember that your tumour needs to meet the requirements above.

Are there risks to ablation therapy?

All procedures have risks. The risks of ablation therapy include:

Pain that needs pain medicine
Infection where the probe is put into your body
Damage to the treated kidney
Damage to other nearby parts of your body (it depends on where the tumour is)
Postablation syndrome. About 1 in 4 people have flu-like symptoms 3 to 5 days after the procedure that may last several weeks.
Talk with your healthcare provider about which risks apply most to you.

Before undergoing a procedure

Your healthcare team will likely do blood tests to make sure that your blood clots normally and to see how well your liver and kidneys are working.

Tell your team about all the prescription and over-the-counter medicines, herbs, and supplements you’re taking. You may need to stop using some of these for a time before the procedure. This is often done for blood thinners, aspirin, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen.
Tell your provider about any allergies that you have. This includes allergies to anaesthesia or contrast dye.
Tell your provider if you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant.
Your provider will tell you not to eat or drink anything starting the night before the treatment.
Arrange for someone to drive you home after the procedure.

During the procedure

This procedure will be done by an interventional radiologist who will work with your urologist to plan your treatment. The procedure may follow these basic steps:

You’ll be given a gown to wear and will lie on an exam table.
Your blood pressure, heart rate, and pulse will be tracked during the procedure.
If anaesthesia is needed, the nurse will put an IV (intravenous) line in your arm or hand to give you this medicine. (Anaesthesia is the medicine used to make you sleep and not feel pain during treatment.)
Your healthcare provider will clean the skin where the probe will go in. A thin needle might be used to put medicine that numbs the area (called local anaesthetic).
A small cut will be made in your skin. The probe will go in there. In some cases, more than one cut may be needed.
Your provider will use imaging scans to help guide the probe to the tumour. This may be done with a CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound.
For RFA, a high-frequency electrical current will be sent through the probe to kill the cancer cells. Your healthcare provider may need to do this at more than one place. A grounding pad will be put on your leg or back.
For cryoablation, the probe’s tip will release a very cold gas to freeze the tumour and kill the cancer cells.
At the end of the procedure, the probe is taken out. The skin is covered with a bandage.

After the procedure

The procedure takes one to three hours. You’ll be taken to the recovery care unit to be kept track of as you wake up from the anaesthetic. You will likely stay there until you’re fully awake, stable and ready to go home. You’ll likely be able to go home the same day. However, some recommend an overnight stay for observation. You may have mild pain or nausea. Your healthcare team can give you medicines to help with these side effects.

You can go back to normal activity after a few days, or as directed by your healthcare team.

Working with your healthcare team

Talk with your healthcare team about what signs to look for after treatment and when to call them. Make sure you know what number to call with questions. Is there a different number for evenings and weekends?

If you have any questions after reading this article, please call our free Support Line on 0800002 9002.