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RITA (Radio-intraoperative therma abalatior) for cancer of the liver Among other advancements in cancer treatment being pioneered at MIMIS is a minimally invasive procedure that uses radio frequency (RF) in the ablation of tumors in the liver. Through this procedure, surgeons deliver monitored and controlled levels of RF into the tissue through an array of thin electrodes that heat and destroy, or ablate, the targeted tissue. In many cases, this procedure can be performed with just local anesthesia. A 2002 study conducted by California-based RITA Medical Systems, Inc., showed that RF ablation increased median survival rates two to three fold compared to historical rates for patients treated with chemotherapy alone. Surgeons at MIMIS have been using RF on liver cancer patients since 2003. |
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