Innovative metastatic tumor ablation procedure performed at MUW

The graphic is titled “Three organs, one procedure.” Below, under the title, are three illustrations: liver, lungs and neck, each with a red dot indicating the place of the procedure. Under the liver is the caption 'Liver microwave thermoablation', under the lungs is 'Lungs cryoablation', and under the neck is 'Neck cryoablation'.

A pioneering metastatic tumor ablation procedure was carried out in three different organs during a single therapeutic session. The procedure was performed by specialists from the 2nd Department of Radiology at the University Clinical Center of the Medical University of Warsaw. It was conducted on a female patient diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer with metastases to the liver, lungs, and neck tissues.

The team of interventional radiologists applied various ablation techniques, tailored to the location and characteristics of each lesion. The liver metastasis was destroyed using microwave thermal ablation, while the neck lesion and two pulmonary foci were treated with precision cryoablation.

Ablation techniques

Thermal ablation involves destroying cancer cells by heating them to very high temperatures, most commonly using microwave energy or radiofrequency current. Cryoablation, on the other hand, uses extreme cold – freezing the tumor with a probe inserted directly into the lesion, which leads to the destruction of the cancerous tissue. Both methods are minimally invasive and offer an alternative to traditional surgical treatment, particularly in cases involving hard-to-reach lesions or high-risk patients.

Benefits for the patient

Using the standard surgical approach, the patient would have required three separate operations – each in a different part of the body (neck, lungs, and liver) – likely spaced out over several months. The use of minimally invasive ablation techniques allowed for the simultaneous treatment of four metastatic lesions in three different organs during a single, coordinated procedure. This approach significantly reduces the physical burden on the patient, minimizes the risk of complications, and shortens recovery time, ultimately improving the quality of life for oncology patients. It is important to emphasize, however, that such procedures are limited to a small number of lesions of relatively small size.

Specialist team

The procedure involved a multidisciplinary team of specialists. Thoracic surgical care was provided by Prof. Bartosz Kubisa. The procedure was carried out by interventional radiologists: Grzegorz Rosiak, Dariusz Konecki, Krzysztof Milczarek, Jakub Franke, and Krzysztof Gibiński. Nursing support was provided by Anna Piasecka, and technical support – by radiologic technologists Danuta Pyryt and Patrycja Mackiewicz. Anesthesia care was provided by anesthesiologists Jolanta Soluch and Jarosław Gadomski, together with nurse anesthetists Joanna Podsiadła and Joanna Kosińska.