Cancer rates are rising worldwide and as diagnostic techniques continue to improve, new surgical ablation devices are becoming crucial weapons in the growing arsenal of cancer treatment tools. These devices allow doctors to burn away tumors with precision, speed and safety, without the side-effects that patients undergoing radical cancer therapy often experience. This article provides an overview of the cancer ablation market, highlights the key players working on these devices and discusses their potential applications. It also includes critical insights from a leading interventional urologist on the pros and cons of using these various technologies in treating prostate cancer.

Recent executive-level company changes and promotions in the biopharma, medical device and diagnostics industries.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Elsevier Business Intelligence’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Medical Device Deals Update column is a survey of recent medtech M&A, alliance, and financing activity. This month’s column covers deals announced October-November 2013.