An interesting article about tumor ablation follows.  For patients in need of surgical intervention in the USA, this is a very exciting time:

Radiofrequency ablation of small renal cell carcinomas using multitined expandable electrodes: preliminary experience
JVIR 2006;17:513-519

The authors report their contemporary experience with RCC RFA using multitined expandable electrodes along with an aggressive treatment strategy to displace adjacent viscera away from probe tines. They followed 22 patients with 26 sporadic RCC who underwent 43 ablations during 27 RFA sessions, 26 of which were performed using multitined expandable electrodes. All ablations used CT guidance with moderate sedation. The authors found a 100% technical success rate in targeting and ablation. They used adjunctive water injection techniques in four patients to displace the tail of the pancreas or descending colon. Deliberate penetration of tines beyond the margins of the kidney was performed in 41% of cases. No hemorrhage occurred in these cases. They conclude that multitined expandable RFA electrodes used for small RCCs produce a high rate of local control with a low complication rate, even when tine penetration of the kidney is required for an adequate tumor treatment margin.