Local ablative therapies such as microwave and radiofrequency ablation may provide alternative curative or palliative treatments in select patients:

• with localised NSCLC who are unsuitable for surgery or radiotherapy
• with oligometastatic NSCLC who are unsuitable for surgery or radiotherapy
• undergoing multi-modality treatment in combination with radiotherapy, chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Timeframe for starting treatment

Local ablative therapies should begin within six weeks of the initial specialist referral. Where appropriate, treatment should be coordinated with other treatments.

Training and experience required of the appropriate specialists

• An interventional radiologist (FRANZCR or equivalent) with adequate training and experience, and with institutional credentialing and agreed scope of practice in lung cancer.
• Ablation should only be performed by credentialed practitioners.
• European Board of Interventional Radiology Certification (EBIR) certification, or equivalent standard, is recommended.

Documented evidence of the radiologist’s training and experience, including their specific experience with lung ablation and procedures to be undertaken, should be available.