Targeted delivery of microbubbles and nanobubbles for image-guided thermal ablation therapy of tumors

摘要

Thermal ablation treats tumors by localized deposition of thermal energy that causes protein denaturation and coagulation necrosis. Commonly used thermal ablation techniques include laser ablation, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation and high-intensity focused ultrasound (US) ablation [1-4]. These techniques have been explored for minimally invasive management of tumors in various locations, including liver, kidney, lung, prostate, bone and breast. The potential major advantages of thermal ablation processes include minimal patient trauma, a low incidence of complications, an outpatient treatment approach, rapid post-procedural recovery and a more rapid return to normal activities. However, the widespread application of these thermal ablation techniques remains controversial due to ongoing concerns with regards to its overall clinical efficacy and its impact on disease-free survival and local recurrence rates as compared with surgical resection. The primary reasons for these concerns are poor process control, incomplete destruction of residual cancer cells and the potential for incidental thermal injury to surrounding normal tissue structures.