Description:
There are few symptoms in the early stages of renal cancer. Typically symptoms develop as the disease progresses. The first symptom is often blood in the urine; pain and flank mass are the other classic symptoms.
The standard treatment for renal cancer is total or partial nephrectomy. However, with the improvement of medical imaging techniques, which have increased the detection of small incidental renal tumours, less invasive procedures have emerged. These include laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, cryoablation, high-intensity ultrasound and radiofrequency ablation.
Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation may be particularly indicated in patients with small renal tumours (for example less than 4cm diameter), in whom surgery may not be well tolerated, or in patients who refuse surgery.
CT scanning or ultrasound is used for image guidance, and the tumour is destroyed by heating to temperatures exceeding 60°C. In RFA, temperature changes are induced using high-frequency alternating current applied via an electrode or electrodes placed within the tissue to generate ionic agitation.
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