Tumors can be eliminated with a fine needle and only 20 minutes of time? Yes, you read it right, tumor can be treated minimally invasively, which is a new type of treatment in addition to the conventional treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy – local ablation of tumor. At present, this treatment technique has already been used in the field of liver tumor treatment, and it has a very good reputation. What are the types of local ablation procedures? Local ablation is divided into physical ablation and drug ablation. Physical ablation is divided into “cold ablation” and “thermal ablation”, which means “killing” the tumor by heating and cooling methods. Among them, microwave ablation is most commonly used in thermal ablation. Pharmacological ablation is to kill the tumor by injecting anhydrous alcohol or acetic acid to achieve the purpose of treatment. How can the tumor be “ablated”? Take microwave ablation as an example, a needle-like electrode is inserted into the tumor area under the guidance of imaging instruments (CT, MR and ultrasound), and the tumor area is heated up by the friction of polar molecules, and the temperature will reach about 100℃, thus causing the tumor cells to coagulate and necrosis. Different advantages and disadvantages of various ablation procedures Thermal ablation includes microwave ablation, radiofrequency ablation and Helio knife. The most commonly used local ablation procedure is microwave ablation, which has the advantage of more precise range control and large ablation range. Cryoablation (e.g., argon helium knife), although less commonly used than thermal ablation, also has its unique advantages. In liver treatment, it not only causes tumor necrosis, but it has also been reported to stimulate the patient’s immune system, prompting the patient’s own ability to kill the tumor. Also cold ablation is less painful during treatment and can even be performed without anesthesia, which makes it possible for many patients who cannot receive preoperative anesthesia to undergo ablation treatment. The advantages of drug ablation are that it is safer and more suitable for “dangerous tumors” growing in specific areas, such as the vascular plexus, than physical ablation. Who can choose ablation? How do you determine if a patient is eligible for local ablation? For tumors not more than 3cm, ablation treatment has exactly the same efficacy as traditional surgery, for these patients, ablation can replace surgery; for tumors between 3 and 5cm, the efficacy of surgery is more definite, how to choose, also refer to other conditions of the patient; for tumors larger than 5cm, ablation cannot replace surgery, the efficacy of surgical radical treatment is more complete, but For patients with tumors larger than 5 cm, ablation cannot replace surgery. Surgery is more complete, but ablation can be used to reduce the tumor for patients who cannot be cured. With the continuous development of various equipments and technologies, the scope of local ablation will become more and more extensive. The advantages of local ablation are obvious: 1. The hospitalization period of traditional surgery takes a week, and it takes a long time to fully recover; 3. More economical: No matter it is money or time, local ablation saves a lot for patients. At the same time, we should also see its shortcomings. Local ablation of tumor targets a more limited group of patients and has certain requirements on the location and size of tumor of patients. For patients whose tumor is too large or in a special location, we still suggest them to consider other interventional comprehensive treatments first. Meanwhile, ablation, like surgery, has many contraindications, such as large amount of liver ascites, coagulation dysfunction, and serious infection, etc. Patients cannot receive ablation immediately. Minimally invasive does not mean “risk-free” Since this minimally invasive treatment is small and fast, does it mean that there will not be any postoperative complications? Of course not. The possibility of complications from local ablation also exists, but the incidence is lower than that of traditional surgery. Here, we need to remind patients that they should choose whether to undergo this treatment strictly according to the indications, and they should choose an experienced surgeon instead of following blindly. Whether it is surgery or ablation, what is suitable for you is the best. The birth of local ablation is a blessing for liver cancer patients, but it is not only for liver tumor patients, but also for lung tumors, retroperitoneal tumors, kidney tumors and benign tumors of thyroid and breast. As the technology of this treatment procedure develops and is widely used, more and more patients will benefit.