"Researchers are using highenergy waves similar to those used to make microwave popcorn to destroy inoperable lung tumors https In a preliminary study the technique called microwave ablation eliminated lung tumors in  of  patients. Eight months later none of the tumors had come back. Tumors shrank or stopped growing in the other nine patients says study researcher Claudio Pusceddu MD a specialist in radiation https and oncology at Oncological Hospital in Cagliari Italy. During microwave ablation radiologists place a thin microwave antenna directly into the tumor. An electromagnetic wave then agitates water molecules in the surrounding tumor tissue producing friction and heat that eventually destroy the tumor. The procedure which costs about  takes about an hour and the patient is typically kept overnight in the hospital for observation. U.S. researchers say the technique certainly shows promise. But more patients have to be followed for far longer to see if they stay in remission they say. The findings were presented here at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. Microwave Ablation for Lung Cancer About  Americans are living with lung cancer https according to the American Cancer https Society. Standard treatment options include surgery chemotherapy https and radiation. Researchers are looking at a number of ways of destroying tumors with heat from radiofrequency waves or by freezing it for example. It remains to be seen which of these newer techniques if any will keep cancer https from coming back says American Society of Clinical Oncology spokesman Gregory Masters MD a medical oncologist at the Helen F. Graham Cancer https Center in Newark Del. Masters tells WebMD that in one study cancer stopped growing for a year or more in twothirds of patients who underwent microwave ablation. But we need to follow them for five or seven years. Pusceddu says that the major advantage of microwave ablation is that it works quickly to heat tumor cells to high temperatures. As a result it can be used to destroy larger tumors than other ablation techniques he says. None of the patients in the study suffered major complications. Eight had temporary trouble breathing https due to a partially collapsed lung https but all got better on their own within a week. In addition to lung tumors microwave ablation is being studied for the treatment of liver https kidney https and bone cancers. These findings were presented at a medical conference. They should be considered preliminary as they have not yet undergone the peer review process in which outside experts scrutinize the data prior to publication in a medical journal."