ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Head and Neck Cancer
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1545509
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancing Cancer Imaging Technologies: Bridging the Gap from Research to Clinical PracticeView all 19 articles
Comparison of Micro-flow Imaging and Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Monitoring Microwave Ablation of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Efficacy, Safety, and Cost-Effectiveness
Provisionally accepted
- Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu, China
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AbstractObjective: To evaluate the value of micro-flow imaging (MFI) in monitoring ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) by comparing it with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).Methods: This study was conducted on 83 malignant nodules from 79 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients treated between June 2022 and September 2023. These cases were divided into a control group (n=37) and an observation group (n=42) based on different guidance modalities during microwave ablation (MWA). The observation group underwent MFI monitoring, while the control group received CEUS monitoring. Clinical parameters were systematically compared between groups, including: 1) baseline clinical characteristics, 2) two-dimensional ultrasound features, 3) vascular patterns (MFI/CEUS), 4) tumor volume (V), 5) volume reduction rate (VRR), 6) postoperative complications, and 7) patient satisfaction outcomes.Results: All patients successfully underwent ablation. During multiple follow-ups post-MWA, no local recurrence or distant metastasis was observed in either group, and changes in V and VRR were similar (p > 0.05). Consistency was also observed in the number of ablations, ablation time, and postoperative complications between the two groups (p > 0.05). However, the MFI group had lower treatment costs and operation time compared to the CEUS group (p < 0.05), and patients in the MFI group reported higher satisfaction with the procedure (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The effectiveness and safety of MFI monitoring during PTC ablation are similar to those of CEUS, with the added advantages of lower costs and greater patient satisfaction, making MFI a preferable option for patients.
Keywords: micro-flow imaging (MFI), Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), microwave ablation (MWA), Papillary thyroid carcinoma, Monitoring
Received: 15 Dec 2024; Accepted: 08 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 李, zhuang, Hu, xie, cui and Lu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Man Lu, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu, China
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