Magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) ablation of liver tumours

Abstract

Recent decades have seen a paradigm shift in the treatment of liver tumours from invasive surgical procedures to minimally invasive image-guided ablation techniques. Magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) is a novel, completely non-invasive ablation technique that has the potential to change the field of liver tumour ablation. The image guidance, using MR imaging and MR temperature mapping, provides excellent planning images and real-time temperature information during the ablation procedure. However, before clinical implementation of MR-HIFU for liver tumour ablation is feasible, several organ-specific challenges have to be addressed. In this review we discuss the MR-HIFU ablation technique, the liver-specific challenges for MR-HIFU tumour ablation, and the proposed solutions for clinical translation. © 2012 International Cancer Imaging Society.