History of Ablation

Numerous techniques have been developed for tissue ablation. Techniques to kill tumor cells include heating, freezing, radiation, chemotherapy, occluding the tumor blood supply, injection of caustic agents directly into the tumor, as well as various combinations of these. While most of these were introduced in the late 20th century, at least one dates back to the 19th century. This chapter reviews the general historical perspectives of these different methods, with particular emphasis on radiofrequency ablation.