IN RECENT years, there has been a transition toward less invasive local
treatment of breast cancer.1
The shift from radical mastectomy2,
3
and modified radical mastectomy4-7
to breast conservation therapy8-15
has not altered survival rates. Following this continuum, investigators are
studying percutaneous minimally invasive techniques to locally eradicate breast
tumors. Cryoablation,16,
17
laser ablation,18
and high-intensity focused ultrasound19,
20
have been reported for ablation of benign and malignant breast lesions.
Radiofrequency (RF) energy heats tissue, causing thermal destruction and cell
death by coagulation necrosis. This technique has been used for ablation of
liver, prostate, bone, and renal tumors; pharyngeal soft tissue; neural tissue;
and brain lesions.21-27
We report the first series of RF ablation in patients with breast cancer.
