The oscillation of polar molecules produces frictional heating, ultimately generating tissue necrosis within solid tumors.
However, many patients are precluded from surgery due to poor cardiopulmonary function, advanced age, or extensive disease burden.
The most common adverse effects of MWA for lung tumors include pain, fever, pneumothorax, and pleural effusions.
[13] One of the limitations of thermal-based ablation therapies, including MWA, is the risk of marginal recurrences and/or residual disease.
The systems use either a 915 MHz generator (Evident, Covidien, Mansfield, MA; MicrothermX, BSD Medical, Salt Lake City, UT; Avecure, Medwaves, San Diego, CA) or a 2450 MHz generator (Certus 140, Neuwave, Madison, WI; Amica, Hospital Service, Rome, Italy; Acculis MTA, AngioDynamics, Latham, NY).
Five of the six available systems require that the antennas are internally cooled with either room-temperature fluid or carbon dioxide to reduce conductive heating and to prevent possible skin damage.
Unlike radiofrequency ablation, MWA does not rely on an electrical circuit allowing for multiple applicators to be used simultaneously.