New Tumor Treatment Available at Cape Cod Healthcare

HYANNIS – A new state-of-the-art treatment for tumors is now available at Cape Cod Hospital.

Microwave ablation, which offers an alternative to conventional surgical interventions, is a minimally invasive, highly effective option for some patients.

Microwave ablation uses CT-guided probes and electromagnetic waves to precisely target and destroy tumors through a small incision.

A procedure that typically takes an hour to perform, microwave ablation can be used as part of a day surgery treatment.

This limits patient pain and may eliminate the need for an inpatient stay.

Other advantages of the microwave ablation technique include less anesthesia, faster recovery and smaller incisions.

“We now have the technology and expertise to treat patients suffering from some lung, kidney, liver and bone tumors,” said Salvatore Viscomi, MD, medical director the radiology department at Cape Cod Healthcare. “It offers an alternative to invasive surgery, especially for older and sicker patients, whose frailer health makes invasive surgery particularly risky.”

Microwave ablation is also used in concert with low-dose CT scans, which detect early lung tumors in heavy smokers.

“We suspect that potentially thousands of lung cancer patients on Cape Cod can benefit from this combination of detection and treatment,” said Dr. Viscomi, who also practices at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston.