Ablation for the management of pulmonary malignancies.

Overview

OBJECTIVE: Surgical resection remains the treatment of choice for patients with early-stage primary lung cancer and selected patients with limited metastatic lung disease. However, surgery is a high-risk treatment for patients with coexisting morbidities, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a single lung, or a history of prior resection. The indications for and outcomes of ablative therapies performed for the management of pulmonary malignancies are discussed. CONCLUSION: Preservation of residual lung parenchyma when treating patients with early-stage primary lung cancer and those with limited metastatic lung disease is vital and can be achieved with image-guided thermal ablation therapies.