It has been used at places like the Mayo Clinic and has worked on hundreds of patients with tumors of the liver or kidneys. It has also been used with success on patients who have bone cancer. The cancer cells are heated up and destroyed, and the laser-guided system targets them so well that it doesn’t destroy the healthy tissue around the tumor.

When surgery has failed or will not work based on the location of the tumor, or when there are other conditions that make surgery medically unsafe, radiofrequency treatments can be a great choice to prolong both the length and the quality of life. There is generally very little pain with this treatment and there is also minimal risk to the patient. The hospital stay is not long, there is no incision, and the treatment is very effective for smaller cancers.

The treatment was used in dogs, and they saw an almost eighty percent reduction in tumors. Out of the three original dogs, one of them is also completely free of cancer and has been that way – and off of treatment – for two years. If it continues to do well, the researchers will put it to the FDA for a human trial request.

Whether or not it will work in humans is something that remains to be seen, but it is one of the most promising new treatments that is in the works today.