As we all know, the traditional treatments for tumors mainly include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In most people’s impression, chemotherapy becomes the only way if surgery can not be done and the effect of external radiotherapy is not good. However, not all people are suitable for chemotherapy, and chemotherapy kills tumor cells and damages normal cells at the same time. Is there a way that can kill tumor cells directly but is also safe and reliable? In recent years, with the application of high-tech means, the connotation of tumor treatment has been greatly enriched. Among them, radiofrequency ablation therapy has attracted wide attention from the world. 1. What is radiofrequency ablation therapy for tumor? All along, medical doctors and patients are looking forward to the invention of a new method of treating malignant tumors that directly kills tumors, is non-invasive or minimally invasive, has high therapeutic efficacy, and has low side effects. In recent years, the emergence of radiofrequency ablation therapy has brought new hope to tumor patients. Radiofrequency ablation of tumor simply means to use radio frequency to interfere with tumor tissue, causing its necrosis or inactivation. The principle is to insert the radio antenna, which is a special sheathed puncture needle, into the center of the tumor under the guidance of ultrasound or CT. When the puncture needle reaches the predetermined position, according to the size of the tumor, the diameter of the electrode needle is adjusted in vitro, so that the tip of the needle sends out a number of sub-electrodes (multi-bullet); and then through the radiofrequency transmitter, these electrodes are able to send out 200,000 to a few million of the medium and high frequency electromagnetic waves; the tumor tissues receive the electromagnetic waves and the ions inside them oscillate and heat up, which increases the temperature of tumor area to about 100 ℃, and ultimately causes the tumor tissues to coagulate and necrosis. After the tumor tissue receives the electromagnetic wave, its internal ions will oscillate and heat up, which will increase the temperature of the tumor area to about 100℃, and eventually lead to the coagulative necrosis of the tumor tissue to achieve the treatment purpose. The necrotic tumor tissue will be gradually absorbed and dissipated by the human body. In addition, it can also make the vascular tissue around the tumor coagulate to form a reaction zone, so that it cannot continue to supply blood to the tumor, and it is helpful to prevent tumor metastasis. 2.What are the indications for tumor radiofrequency ablation therapy? Tumor radiofrequency ablation therapy is suitable for various solid tumors such as lung cancer, liver cancer, abdominal tumors and lung and liver metastases. It is also suitable for tumor patients who cannot tolerate surgery due to poor physical condition, poor organ function and other factors. Studies at home and abroad have confirmed that the application of ablation alone or in combination with surgery and interventional therapy can not only lead to the eradication of early-stage tumors, but also reduce the volume of tumors in the middle and late-stage tumors, and significantly prolong the survival period of patients. Domestic scholars have confirmed that the combined application of ablation and intervention can greatly improve the therapeutic effect of massive hepatocellular carcinoma. The School of Medicine of the Imperial University of the United Kingdom has shown that the application of ablation therapy before liver cancer surgery can reduce bleeding, increase the chance of resection and shorten the operation time. 3.What are the advantages of tumor radiofrequency ablation therapy? Minimally invasive and targeted therapy has become a trend in the future development of tumor treatment. Tumor radiofrequency ablation therapy, as a new minimally invasive treatment for tumors developed in recent years, has the following advantages: (1) Accurate positioning. It can be guided by ultrasound or CT to “point to where and hit where”. There is almost no damage to normal tissues. (2) Reliable efficacy. It can effectively “scald” the tumor cells to death, make the tumor degenerate and destroy, and the tumor tissues are completely and thoroughly necrotic after ablation, so it is not easy to recur. The diameter of tumor that can be ablated at one time reaches 4~7cm, and the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation of small tumors is the same as that of surgical resection. (3) There is no need for incision, small risk, small trauma, fast recovery, percutaneous puncture without local suture, leaving no scar, and can be discharged from the hospital in 1~3 days after the operation. (4) It is neither polluted nor has some damage to the human body like rays, it is a kind of green therapy. Patients recover quickly after surgery and have a short hospital stay. (5) It can also cooperate and complement with other treatments, such as surgical resection and chemoembolization. And the surgery can be repeated or partitioned, and large tumors can be divided into several times if it is difficult to be treated at one time. (6) It can obviously improve the quality of life of patients, and at the same time, the reaction of treatment is relatively small, and it also improves certain symptoms of patients and increases their confidence in overcoming the disease. Meanwhile, radiofrequency ablation will induce the immune function of the body after destroying the tumor. 4.What are the limitations of radiofrequency ablation for tumor treatment? Since radiofrequency ablation is a kind of minimally invasive treatment, some complications are inevitable, such as bleeding, pneumothorax, coughing up blood, pain, transient elevation of liver function, mild jaundice, fever, occasional small amount of peritoneal effusion, etc. These complications can be relieved after symptomatic treatment, and do not require special treatment. Radiofrequency ablation does provide a new means for tumor treatment, but it is not omnipotent, it is only a kind of local treatment for tumors, and it must be applied in combination with other treatments or drugs in order to achieve the best therapeutic effect. Although radiofrequency ablation therapy can not completely cure middle and late-stage malignant tumors, it is like a “sharp sword” stabbing at the cancerous tumors, which can control the condition, reduce the complications, significantly improve the quality of life of the patients, and make the patients’ wish of “survival with tumor” become a reality. It can control the disease, reduce the complications, improve the quality of life of the patients, and make the patients’ wish of “living with tumor” a reality.