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Notes from our work with overseas cancer information, translation, and interpretation.
Portal Vein Embolization (PVE): Procedure, Recovery and Results
2026.10.28 · Cancer typesPortal vein embolization (PVE) is an image-guided procedure done 3 to 4 weeks before a major liver operation when the part of the liver that will remain after surgery is too small. Blocking the…
Desmoid Tumor Cryoablation: 86% Progression-Free at 1 Year
2026.10.28 · IVR & RFADesmoid tumor cryoablation is an image-guided procedure in which thin needle probes are placed into the tumor under CT or ultrasound and an ice ball freezes and destroys the tumor cells. It needs no…
Intra-arterial Chemotherapy (IAC/HAIC): Procedure and Results
2026.10.27 · Papers & translationIntra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) is an image-guided procedure in which a thin tube (catheter) is guided into the artery that feeds a tumor, and cancer drugs are infused straight through it. In…
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) by Cancer Type: Latest Results
2026.10.27 · Cancer typesRadiofrequency ablation (RFA) began as a needle treatment for liver cancer and is now used for kidney cancer, lung cancer and lung metastases, spinal bone metastases and some thyroid cancers. In a…
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): How It Works and SURF Trial Results
2026.10.26 · Papers & translationRadiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a local treatment in which a doctor guides a thin needle electrode into a tumor under CT or ultrasound and destroys the tumor with heat produced by a radiofrequency…
Image-Guided Biopsy and Drainage: 2025–2026 Results and Recovery
2026.10.26 · IVR & RFAImage-guided biopsy and percutaneous drainage are interventional radiology procedures in which a thin needle or tube is guided by CT or ultrasound to take a small tissue sample (biopsy) or to drain…
Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE): Candidates, Procedure, Recovery
2026.10.25 · IVR & RFAUterine artery embolization (UAE), also called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), is an interventional radiology procedure. A thin tube is passed from an artery in the wrist or groin into the…
TAE (Transarterial Embolization): Latest Results and Recovery
2026.10.25 · IVR & RFATAE (transarterial embolization) is a procedure in which a thin tube (catheter) is passed from an artery in the groin or wrist to the vessels feeding a tumour, which are then blocked. Unlike TACE…
TACE (Transarterial Chemoembolization): Procedure, Recovery, Results
2026.10.24 · IVR & RFATACE (transarterial chemoembolization) is a procedure in which a thin tube (catheter) is passed from an artery in the groin or wrist to the vessels feeding a liver tumour, where anticancer drugs are…
Endobiliary RFA for Bile Duct Cancer: Survival in 336 Patients
2026.10.24 · Cancer typesEndobiliary radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for bile duct cancer uses heat inside a narrowed bile duct to destroy tumour tissue before a stent is placed to keep bile flowing. In a 2026 multicentre…
Microwave vs Radiofrequency Ablation for Liver Cancer: Trials Compared
2026.10.23 · Papers & translationMicrowave ablation (MWA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for liver cancer both destroy tumors with heat delivered through a thin needle placed through the skin. In a five-hospital Japanese…
TACE Plus Immunotherapy for Liver Cancer: EMERALD-3 Phase 3 Results
2026.10.23 · IVR & RFACombining chemoembolization (TACE) with immunotherapy for liver cancer has shown benefit in an international phase 3 trial. In EMERALD-3, presented at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting and published in…
Tests Before Liver Cancer Treatment: Liver Function, Staging, Bloods
2026.10.22 · Cancer typesTests before liver cancer treatment are the starting point for deciding whether local treatments such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or chemoembolization (TACE) are suitable, and which one fits…
Histotripsy for Liver Cancer: Meta-Analysis and Japan's First Study
2026.10.22 · Papers & translationHistotripsy for liver tumors is a new local treatment that uses ultrasound focused from outside the body to break up tumor tissue mechanically, with no incision and no needle. A meta-analysis…
Y-90 Radioembolization for Liver Cancer: Steps, Candidates, Recovery
2026.10.21 · IVR & RFAY-90 radioembolization for liver cancer (TARE, transarterial radioembolization) is an interventional radiology (IVR) procedure in which tiny beads carrying the radioactive isotope yttrium-90 are…
NanoKnife (IRE) for Pancreatic Cancer: DIRECT Survival Results
2026.10.21 · Papers & translationA US multicenter registry on NanoKnife (irreversible electroporation, IRE) for pancreatic cancer was published in The Oncologist on 14 October 2026. Among 99 patients with stage III pancreatic…
Bone Metastasis Pain Ablation: RFA and Cryoablation Guide
2026.10.20 · Cancer typesBone metastasis pain is not always controlled by painkillers and radiotherapy alone. One option used abroad is image-guided local treatment: a thin needle is placed into the tumour inside the bone…
Breast Cancer Cryoablation: FDA Authorisation and 5-Year Results
2026.10.20 · IVR & RFABreast cancer cryoablation is a procedure in which a thin, needle-like cryoprobe is guided into the breast under ultrasound and the tumour is enclosed in a ball of ice, frozen and thawed to destroy…
Lung Cancer Radiofrequency Ablation: Process, Risks and Recovery
2026.10.19 · Cancer typesLung cancer radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a procedure in which a thin needle electrode is passed through the skin into the centre of a lung tumour under CT guidance, and heat generated by…
Colorectal Liver Metastases Microwave Ablation: 1-Year CIEMAR Results
2026.10.19 · Papers & translationA large European registry published on September 6, 2026 in CVIR, the journal of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE), shows how microwave ablation for…
Liver Cancer RFA: Procedure Steps and Recovery Time (US, UK, Japan)
2026.10.18 · IVR & RFARadiofrequency ablation (RFA) for liver cancer is a procedure in which a thin needle is passed through the skin into a liver tumour and the cancer is destroyed with heat. Comparing official patient…
Kidney Cancer Cryoablation: Long-Term Results in 86 Patients
2026.10.18 · Cancer typesA study from MD Anderson Cancer Center in the US followed 86 patients who had percutaneous cryoablation for kidney cancer 4 cm or smaller, some for more than 13 years. It was published on October…
Thyroid Nodule RFA vs Microwave Ablation: US Study of 351 Nodules
2026.10.17 · Papers & translationA US study comparing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) for benign thyroid nodules over one year at a single hospital was published on October 10, 2026 in the journal…
TULSA Prostate Cancer Ablation: What a 650-Patient Meta-Analysis Shows
2026.10.16 · IVR & RFAA new meta-analysis of TULSA (MRI-guided transurethral ultrasound ablation) for prostate cancer — an ultrasound treatment delivered from inside the urethra while MRI maps tissue temperature in real…
TACE Plus RFA for Intermediate-Stage Liver Cancer: Phase 3 TORCH Trial
2026.10.15 · Cancer typesA phase 3 randomized trial published in JAMA Oncology on July 30, 2026 found that adding radiofrequency ablation after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) lengthened both progression-free and…
Radiofrequency Ablation for Pancreatic Cancer: Does Adding RFA to Chemotherapy Improve Survival? The PELICAN Trial
2026.10.14 · Papers & translationRadiofrequency ablation (RFA) for pancreatic cancer has been studied in locally advanced disease that cannot be removed by surgery, in the hope that destroying part of the tumor with heat might help…
Pulsed Field vs Radiofrequency Ablation for AF: BEAT-PAROX-AF Trial
2026.10.09 · Papers & translationPulsed field ablation (PFA) is the technique drawing the most attention in catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. Instead of heat, it uses very short high-voltage electrical pulses, so many…
Five questions to prepare before an RFA consultation
2026.09.24 · IVR & RFARFA consultations are often short. Writing your questions down beforehand helps you hear the explanations you need.
When reading an overseas paper, check the stage of research first
2026.09.10 · Papers & translationThe same phrase, “it was effective”, carries very different weight depending on the study behind it.
What a medical interpreter does and does not do
2026.08.27 · Papers & translationA medical interpreter conveys what the doctor and patient say, accurately. The basic rule is to neither shorten nor add to explanations.