The role of percutaneous image-guided ablation for lung tumors.

Surgical resection is the standard treatment for early-stage primary lung cancer and selected cases with pulmonary metastases. However, lung resection may not be possible in patients with compromised pulmonary function, concurrent medical conditions, or previous lung resections. Image-guided ablation has emerged as a less invasive treatment option for unresectable lung tumors that allows for preservation of pulmonary function and promising efficacy. Hereby we describe the indications for and outcomes of image-guided ablation performed for the management of pulmonary malignancies.