Ablation is a way to treat tumors or masses by using focused heat or freezing the area of interest. Using a small device that is guided into the bone, a radiologist will target and deliver energy that heats or freezes the tumor. Common areas where this may be used include breast, liver, prostate and bone metastasis in the spine.

Because this procedure uses radiofrequency energy instead of radiation in a localized procedure, patients may continue to receive chemotherapy treatments for their primary cancer. It can also be used with patients who have reached their radiation dose limit or those with radio-resistant tumors.