Specialists from the Second Department of Radiology at the University Clinical Center of the Medical University of Warsaw (WUM) performed a pioneering, minimally invasive ablation procedure on metastatic tumors in three different organs—the liver, lungs, and neck—during a single therapeutic session.
The patient was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer that had spread to several organs. Thanks to the use of different ablation techniques – microwave thermal ablation and cryoablation – it was possible to effectively and precisely destroy four metastatic lesions during a single procedure.
Thermoablation involves destroying cancer cells by heating them to a high temperature, while cryoablation works in the opposite way – it freezes the tumor, leading to its necrosis. Both methods are minimally invasive and are a valuable alternative to classic surgical treatment, especially in the case of lesions that are difficult to access or in patients with other medical conditions.
The standard surgical approach would require three separate operations at intervals. Thanks to the simultaneous ablation of four lesions in one session, it was possible to significantly reduce the burden on the body, minimize the risk of complications, and shorten the recovery time. This innovative solution translates into an improved quality of life for cancer patients.
