Damian E. Dupuy MD, Presenter: BSD Medical, Board of Directors

1. Understand clinical applications of image guided ablation in the head and neck 2. Review pertinent clinical data of image guided ablation in the treatment of head and neck neoplasms

Until relatively recently, surgical resection has been the mainstay of treatment for malignant and symptomatic benign neoplasms within the head and neck. Technologic innovation and ongoing improvements in device design and treatment techniques, however, have resulted in increased popularity and acceptance of minimally invasive image-guided ablation therapies as alternative treatments to surgery in many patients. While the most popular application of many of these therapies currently resides within the liver, kidneys, lung, and in bone, their principles and techniques have also been applied with success in tissues of the head and neck . Radiologists and referring clinicians now recognize many advantages of minimally invasive therapies over traditional, more aggressive, surgical options. These advantages include an anticipated reduction in procedure-related morbidity and mortality, lower cost, decrease in length of procedure-related hospital stay, and the wide range of cellular pathology susceptible to the cytotoxic treatment effects of currently available ablation techniques. Early data also suggests that ablation therapies may be used synergistically with more conventional therapy such as chemotherapy and external beam radiation to achieve long-term success rates that are better than those achievable by either form of therapy alone

Dupuy, D, Ablation in the Head and Neck Region.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11003431.html