Percutaneous image-guided thermal ablation of lung cancer: What is the evidence?

Thermal ablation techniques have now been used for more than twenty years in the treatment of primary lung tumours, predominantly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although primarily used for the treatment of early-stage disease in non-surgical patients, thermal ablation is now also being used in selected patients with oligo-metastatic and oligoprogressive disease. This review discusses the techniques available for thermal ablation, the evidence for use of thermal ablation in primary lung tumours in early-and advanced-stage disease and compares thermal ablation to alternative treatment strategies.