Microwave Ablation of Renal Parenchymal Tumors Before Nephrectomy: Phase I Study

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine, in renal neoplasms, the size of ablation zones induced in vivo with percutaneous microwave probes and whether skip areas remain within the ablation zones. CONCLUSION: For a single 10-minute ablation, ablated volumes averaged 27 cm3 and 105 cm3 with a single-probe and a three-probe ablation array, respectively. There were no skip areas within the ablated zone. Microwave ablation can safely and quickly generate large ablation lesions and renal neoplasms.