Ablation of Renal Cell Carcinoma

In its most recent guidelines for management of small renal tumors, the American Urological Association identified percutaneous thermal ablation as an alternative therapy for tumors smaller than 3 cm in selected patients. Ablative therapies can be thermal (heat-based or cold-based) or nonthermal (irreversible electroporation).The technologies most widely used in clinical practice for ablation of renal tumors are radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation. Microwave, irreversible electroporation, laser, and high-intensity focused ultrasound technologies are in various stages of experimental or early clinical application for treating renal tumors. In this chapter, we briefly discuss specific ablation devices that are commonly used to treat renal cell carcinoma. Our main focus is a review of indications, contraindications, technique, complications, follow-up care, and outcomes of percutaneous ablation of renal cell carcinoma.