Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” – Arthur C Clarke

Technological development is mesmerizing humanity every day. Its impact can be seen in every single field.The healthcare sector is no exception.

The medical world has started moving slightly away from the conventional technologies in cancer like chemotherapy and radiation to microwaves.

But this technology cannot be used in the treatment of every type of cancer. And it cannot be used in the cancer treatment holistically. Its usage is limited to the reduction in the size of malignant tumors by destroying cancerous cells without causing any damage to healthy cells.

It can also be used to aid surgical intervention in the case of patients where the size of a tumor is preventing from its execution. Microwave Ablation Therapy (MAT) helps in reducing the tumor’s size by the application of microwaves directly to the target cells. Microwaves increase the temperature within the tumor thereby annihilating the malignant cells. Since the doctors can target the microwaves directly into the tumor, the neighboring healthy cells will not be affected.

Procedure

In MAT , a thin probe is inserted into the tumor through a small incision on the skin. Then microwaves are transmitted through the probe. The heat generated by MAT is capable of destroying tumor cells.

Advantages

•  Targeted application of microwaves helps in destroying malignant cells mostly leaving only a small trail on the healthy nearby cells.
•  The pain associated with MAT is minimal in comparison with other conventional techniques.
•  Major side effects are not observed till now. Nausea and headache are the commonly noticed side effects.

Disadvantages

•  Though its impact on healthy cells is negligible,it is not advisable to treat cancers located near the blood vessels because of the possibility of its ablation while using MAT.
•  Its applicability in the treatment of marginally large tumors is not perfect since it cannot destroy malignant cells completely.
•  Its application is limited to a few types of cancers

As the advancement in science and technology is improving every day we can hope that MAT can be used in treating every type of cancer in nearby future.