Reuters Health: RF ablation could be option for some thyroid cancers
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a minimally invasive treatment, could be a safe and effective treatment for low-risk thyroid cancers, according to a new study.
RFA is an alternative to surgery where a small needle elctrode is inserted into a nodule using ultrasound guidance. Heat generated at the needle tip can destroy target tissue, in this case low-risk papillary microcarcinomas of the thyroid.
Tammy Holm, MD, PhD, assistant professor of surgery in the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine's Department of Surgical Oncology and Department of Cancer Biology and a UC Health thyroid cancer surgeon and specialist, reviewed the recent study for Reuters Health and said RFA presents a great opportunity to scale down treatment from an operating room to an outpatient doctor's office visit with similar outcomes.
"RFA is potentially an incredibly valuable tool for the management of thyroid cancer and a skill that endocrine surgeons must develop in order to provide the best possible care for their patients with both benign and malignant disease," Holm said. "Large-scale prospective studies looking to establish the efficacy of RFA as an alternative or even adjunct to surgery will be valuable moving forward."
Read the Reuters Health article.
Featured photo at top of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid by Ed Uthman/Creative Commons.
Related Stories
CCM welcomes new film and media scoring faculty member J.R. Paredes
May 20, 2026
UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has announced the appointment of J.R. Paredes as CCM's new Assistant Professor of Film and Media Scoring. His faculty appointment officially begins on Aug. 15, 2026. Paredes is a composer, music producer and audio post-production specialist whose work spans film, television and commercial music. His credits include original scores for feature films and series distributed on platforms such as Apple TV+ and Prime Video, as well as extensive work in sound design and mixing for film and media.
6 ways starting a GLP-1 medication could affect your emotions
May 20, 2026
When patients first start taking a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication, they probably expect to feel full. But they might not anticipate how it can influence their emotions. The medications act on the stomach and the brain, said Malti Vij, MD, a University of Cincinnati adjunct associate professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.