Focusing on the Frontiers of Minimally Invasive Medicine, Exploring New Horizons in Tumor Ablation: Report on the WATA 2026 Tumor Ablation (General Session) Symposium
From May 15 to 17, 2026, the First Annual Conference of the World Ablative Therapies Association (WATA 2026), spearheaded by WATA President Professor Yue-Yong Xiao, was successfully convened in Beijing. The Tumor Ablation (General Session) Symposium took place on the morning of May 17. Focusing on the clinical application, multidisciplinary collaboration, and cutting-edge advances in tumor ablation technologies, this symposium brought together numerous early- and mid-career scholars in the field. Through keynote presentations, case analyses, and experiential exchanges, the session delivered a high-caliber academic feast for all attendees.
I. Overview of the General Session on Tumor Ablation
parallel session was divided into two distinct parts: Tumor Ablation (I) and Tumor Ablation (II). The first part was co-chaired by Professor Xue-Quan Huang (First Affiliated Hospital of the PLA Army Medical University), Professor You-Tao Yu (Fourth Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital), and Professor Shi-Ping Yu (Shanxi Cancer Hospital). The second part was moderated by Professor Po Yang (Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University), Professor Nan Zhang (Emergency General Hospital), and Professor Jie Li (Qilu Hospital of Shandong University). The session's scope spanned multiple dimensions, including multi-organ tumor ablation techniques, multidisciplinary combination therapies, and complication management.。
II. Tumor Ablation (General Session) (I)
From 08:30 to 10:10, the keynote speeches of the first part centered on the ablative treatment of complex tumors and their multi-scenario clinical applications, with five experts sharing cutting-edge insights and practical experiences.
A team member representing Professor Bo Zhai (Center for Minimally Invasive Interventional Therapy, East Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University) presented"Combined Surgical Resection and Ablation for Complex Hepatic Tumors: Model Development and Clinical Value Assessment." By establishing a clinical model, the presenter systematically outlined therapeutic strategies combining surgical resection with ablation techniques for complex liver tumors, offering strong theoretical and practical support for optimizing therapeutic outcomes in these challenging cases.
Dr. Jie Zhang (Shanghai Chest Hospital) interpreted the clinical application of combined surgery and ablation from a thoracic surgery perspective. He explored the optimal clinical scenarios and distinct advantages of integrating ablation into thoracic oncology treatments, providing fresh insights into multidisciplinary collaboration between thoracic surgery and interventional radiology departments.
Professor Chun-Wang Yuan (Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University) focused on"Clinical Application of CT-Guided Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma." He shared standardized operational workflows, efficacy evaluation criteria, and clinical benefit data regarding CT-guided ablation in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), demonstrating the significant value of this technology in precision oncology for liver cancer.
Professor Zheng-Yin Liao (West China Hospital, Sichuan University) introduced"Percutaneous Cryotherapy for Maxillary Malignancies," extending the application of cryoablation to head and neck oncology. He shared essential technical nuances, safety management protocols, and clinical outcomes of percutaneous cryotherapy for malignant maxillary tumors, offering a novel therapeutic alternative for this refractory disease category.
Professor Kai-Xian Zhang (Tengzhou Central People's Hospital) delivered a presentation titled"Exploratory Minimally Invasive Treatment for Metastatic Spinal Cord Compression." Addressing the clinical conundrum of metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC), he shared exploratory practices using minimally invasive ablation to alleviate symptoms and control tumor progression, providing new directions for the management of advanced-stage oncological complications.
III. Tumor Ablation (General Session) (II)
Professor Hong-Xin Niu (Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Qingdao Campus) presented a comparative analysis titled"Clinical Comparison of Radiofrequency Ablation versus Surgical Resection for Pulmonary Metastases of Hepatoblastoma." Through a robust comparison of clinical data, he explored the efficacy, safety profiles, and ideal patient selection for both modalities in managing hepatoblastoma patients with lung metastases, providing an evidence-based foundation for clinical decision-making.
Professor Xiao-Bo Zhang (First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital) shared"Cryoablation for Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors: Our Institutional Experience." Drawing from clinical case series, he summarized procedural techniques, response assessments, and long-term management paradigms for cryoablation in bone and soft tissue tumors, showcasing the immense potential of this technique in musculoskeletal oncology.
Professor Xiao-Feng He (First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital) systematically elucidated"CT-Guided Transgluteal Approach for Local Ablation of Early-Stage Prostate Cancer: Principles, Methods, and Efficacy Analysis." Spanning technological mechanisms, approach selection, procedural methodologies, and response evaluation, he comprehensively outlined the standardized protocol for CT-guided prostate cancer ablation, offering granular guidance for the minimally invasive treatment of early-stage disease.
Professor Zhuo-Yang Fan (Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University) focused on"CT-Guided Percutaneous Pulmonary Tumor Ablation: An Overview of Complications and Clinical Management Strategies." He categorized the types, underlying mechanisms, and prophylactic countermeasures for common complications associated with lung tumor ablation, while sharing key insights into clinical management to enhance the safety profile of pulmonary ablative interventions.
IV. Symposium Summary
This specialized symposium on tumor ablation featured rich and comprehensive content, balancing frontier technological exploration with clinical practice retrospectives, thereby establishing an efficient exchange platform for experts and scholars in the domestic tumor ablation arena.
(1) Parallel Advancements in Technical Diversification and Precision
Various energy modalities, ranging from radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) to cryoablation (argon-helium knife), have attained clinical maturity. An expert consensus highlighted the pivotal role of image-guidance technologies—particularly CT guidance—in enhancing targeting precision, enabling real-time monitoring of ablation zones, and evaluating therapeutic efficacy. Concurrently, "combination strategies" such as intraoperative 3D reconstruction and hybrid approaches merging surgical resection with ablation are gradually evolving into standard paradigms for complex cases.
(2) Continuous Expansion of Ablative Indications into "Refractory" Domains
Historically, ablative therapies were primarily restricted to conventional organs like the liver and lungs. In this symposium, several experts reported clinical experiences in non-traditional anatomical sites, including maxillary sinus malignancies, metastatic giant cell tumors of bone, gastric and soft tissue tumors, and prostate cancer. Notably, innovative transgluteal approaches for prostate cancer ablation and ablation combined with cementoplasty for bone metastases demonstrate that ablative technologies have breached traditional anatomical barriers and are extending toward a broader spectrum of solid tumors.
(3) Deep Integration of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Philosophy
Whether through hepatobiliary surgical models combined with ablation or hybrid procedures evaluated from a thoracic surgery perspective, all discussions reflected a "patient-centered, modality-agnostic" clinical mindset. Ablation is no longer a "one-man show" performed solely by interventional radiologists; instead, it has become an essential link closely coordinated with surgery, radiology, and medical oncology. This integration not only enhances the technical success and thoroughness of the treatment but also effectively mitigates the risk of complications.
(4) Heightened Focus on Quality of Life and Functional Preservation
While striving for local tumor control, multiple speakers at this meeting prioritized functional preservation and quality of life. For instance, cryoablation for prostate cancer helps avoid urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction; combined ablation for pulmonary nodules preserves a greater volume of healthy lung parenchyma; and bone metastasis ablation combined with cementoplasty rapidly restores mobility. This paradigm shift reflects a transition in oncology from "maximum tolerated treatment" to "minimum effective treatment," a principle perfectly epitomized by precision minimally invasive ablation.
(5) Imperative Need to Strengthen Complication Management and Standardized Training
The exchange of clinical reports serves as a vital reminder that any invasive procedure carries inherent risks. For instance, the incidence of pneumothorax following pulmonary ablation can reach 20% to 60%; although most cases are mild, establishing standardized prevention and management protocols remains imperative. The panel recommended that future initiatives should prioritize multi-center registry studies, formulate consensus guidelines on complication grading and management tailored to different anatomical ablation sites, and reinforce simulation-based training and credentialing for junior physicians.
Moving forward, driven by continuous advancements in image-guidance technologies and the ongoing iteration of ablative devices, tumor ablation is evolving toward greater precision, improved safety, and higher degrees of individualization. The successful hosting of this symposium has not only fostered academic exchange and experiential sharing within the domestic tumor ablation sector but has also injected fresh momentum into promoting the standardized, high-quality development of minimally invasive ablative techniques. Looking ahead, we eagerly anticipate further multi-institutional collaborative research and clinical explorations to extend the benefits of tumor ablation to a larger patient population, contributing significantly to the advancement of oncology.
