A review of coaxial-based interstitial antennas for hepatic microwave ablation

Although surgical resection remains the gold standard for treatment of liver cancer, there is a growing need for alternative therapies. Microwave ablation (MWA) is an experimental procedure that has shown great promise for the treatment of unresectable tumors and exhibits many advantages over other alternatives to resection, such as radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation. However, the antennas used to deliver microwave power largely govern the effectiveness of MWA. Research has focused on coaxial-based interstitial antennas that can be classified as one of three types (dipole, slot, or monopole). Choked versions of these antennas have also been developed, which can produce localized power deposition in tissue and are ideal for the treatment of deep-seated hepatic tumors.