The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 31,800
people in the United States will develop kidney cancer in 2002.
Men are affected twice as often as women.
At the Ireland Cancer Center, specialists from the Urologic
Cancer Care Team offer patients the latest technology in
treatment. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of tumors is currently
being investigated by University Hospitals of Cleveland
radiologists as a treatment for patients with kidney cancer.
This treatment combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
technology with radiofrequency waves to destroy cancerous
tumors. The RFA is actually a biopsy (needle-like) probe that is
inserted through the skin directly into the lesion. It is heated
to temperatures that destroy the harmful tissue. The MRI
monitoring component allows the physician to control precisely
the tissue to be destroyed while the procedure is taking place
and to constantly evaluate the status of the healthy tissue
surrounding the lesion. The effect is to eradicate only harmful
or diseased tissue while leaving the healthy tissue intact.
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