Killing Cancer with Microwaves

Thoracic surgical professors from the Faculty of Medicine performed Asia-Pacific’s first non-invasive bronchoscopic microwave ablation for lung cancer on 4 March. By means of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy, surgeons can deploy the microwave catheter tip for ablation into the lung cancer and raise the surrounding temperature to above 60°C, under which the lesion is destroyed. With the help of real-time tomography scans, surgeons can be assured of the proper placement of the catheter and monitor the ablation outcomes. The non-invasive surgery leaves no scars and incurs almost no blood loss. It takes only 10 to 20 minutes, with most patients feeling no pain afterwards and a low risk of complications.

This article was originally published in No. 536, Newsletter in Apr 2019.