Xiao Yueyong

Professor Xiao Yueyong is a leading authority in the field of minimally invasive interventional oncology in China. he is the Inaugural President of the World Ablation Therapy Association (WATA) and chief physician at Department of Radiological Diagnosis of Chinese PLA General Hospital(No.3 in China).

For over 30 years, he has dedicated himself to the research and clinical treatment of oncological diseases, with a particular focus on applying modern medical imaging technologies such as CT and MRI to achieve precise cancer diagnosis and therapy. As one of the key contributors to China's national ablation standards, he develops more scientific and individualized treatment plans for every patient by precisely assessing the location, size, and biological characteristics of each tumor.

1983–present: Department of Radiology, Chinese PLA General Hospital

1986–1994: Completed master's and doctoral studies at Chinese PLA General Hospital

2006–2007: Senior Visiting Scholar, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA

2009–present: Deputy Head of Group of the Expert Group on Management Regulations of Tumour Ablation Treatment Technologies of the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China

2012–present: President of the Asian Society of Cryotherapy

2013: National Special Contribution Award in Minimally Invasive Cancer Treatment and Lifetime Honorary Award

2016: Second Prize of the Military Medical Achievement Award

2016: Director Member of NanoKnife Ablation Society

2018: Second Prize of the Military Medical Achievement Award

2019: Second Prize in Scientific Achievements of China Anti-Cancer Association

2019–present: Deputy Director Member of the Special Committee in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Interventional Medicine

2020: Recipient of the title “The 4th National Famous Doctors-Excellent Contribution”

2020–present: President of the International Society of Cryotherapy

2020–present: Member of Standing Committee of the Branch Association of Interventional Physicians of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association

2021: First Prize in Scientific Technologies of Chinese Medicine Education Association

2022: Second Prize in Scientific Achievements of China Anti-Cancer Association

2021–2024: Director Member of the Special Committee in Tumor Minimally Invasive Treatment of China Anti-Cancer Association

Recipient of the title “Asian Ablation Master”

Honorary Chairperson of the International Society of Cryosurgery (Chairperson of the 21st/Former Chairperson)

Honorary Chairperson of the Asian Society of Cryosurgery, and Chairperson of the 1st and 2nd Asian Society of Cryosurgery

Director Member of the Special Committee in Tumour Minimally-Invasive Treatment of China Anti-Cancer Association

Deputy President of Chinese Medicine Education Association, Director Member and Honorary Director Member of the Special Committee in Interventional Minimally-Invasive Treatment

Director Member of NanoKnife Ablation Society

Deputy President of the Technological Innovation Strategy Alliance of National Tumour Minimally-Invasive Treatment Industry

Deputy Director Member of the Special Committee in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Interventional Medicine

Member of Standing Committee of the Branch Association of Interventional Physicians of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association

Deputy Head of Group of the Expert Group on Management Regulations of Tumour Ablation Treatment Technologies of the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China

2025–present: Inaugural President of the World Ablation Therapy Association (WATA)

Recipient of the title “Asian Ablation Master”

National Special Contribution Award in Minimally Invasive Cancer Treatment and Lifetime Honorary Award

Recipient of the title the 4th “National Famous Doctors-Excellent Contribution”

One First Prize in Scientific Technologies of Chinese Medicine Education Association

Two Second Prizes in Army Medical Achievements

Two Second Prizes in Scientific Achievements of China Anti-Cancer Association

Received 13 new patents for invention and utilization of China

Hosted four projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China as the First Responsible Person

Undertook one Major Underpinning Subject of Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China

Hosted and participated in multiple scientific research subjects at army and provincial level (focused on the clinical application and the translational research of NanoKnife ablation, cryoablation, and cancer minimally-invasive interventional robotics)

Led the top-class team in China to write and release more than 10 technological regulations, consensus, and guidelines relevant to “Cancer Ablation Therapies.)

Over forty years of down-to-earth experiences in imaging and interventional medicine, and reignites the light of life of the cancer patients with individualised minimally-invasive ablation therapies.

In the medical frontier in the cancer minimally-invasive ablation therapies, there is a doctor, who firmly grabs the cryoablation needle and nanoknife, directly aims at the core of tumours, under the precise guidance of CT and MRI. While upholding the philosophy of “excluding surgeries, minimizing losses, and optimal efficacy”, Dr. Xiao has spread the seeds of hope in the hearts of many patients who were given “death sentences”. The doctor we are talking about is Professor Xiao Yueyong, the Chief Physician, Professor, and Doctoral Supervisor at the Department of Radiological Diagnosis in the No. 1 Medical Center in Chinese PLA General Hospital, the Chairperson of the 1st World Ablative Therapies Association (WATA), and the Asian Ablation Master.

More than four decades of profound explorations

Professor Xiao Yueyong has ploughed deeply in the diagnosis through imaging and interventional therapies for approximately four decades, and he is one of the founders and leadrunners in domestic tumours ablation field. During 2006-2007, Professor XIAO headed for the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) under the Harvard Medical School in the United States on official funding as a Senior Visiting Scholar, who specialised in interventional therapies under the guidance of CT and MRI. After returning China, he became rooted in the clinical first line for long term, designing and improving multiple methods of minimally-invasive interventional surgeries under the guidance of CT/MRI. He took the lead to put forth frontier philosophies including “using imaging techniques to guide the minimally-invasive individualised treatment of tumours” and “cryoablation therapy methods and strategies for tumours with suitable forms”, laying a solid foundation for the development of Chinese interventional minimally-invasive treatment.

In the field of minimally-invasive ablation, Professor Xiao Yueyong is proficient in a holistic series of cutting-edge technologies including chemical ablation, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), cryoablation, and nanoknife ablation (irreversible electroporation ablation). Further, Professor XIAO has finished over 100,000 minimally-invasive interventional surgeries under the guidance of CT and MRI in total. Under Professor XIAO’s leadership, his team has not only organised discussion sessions with experts participating, but also formulated the first batch of “tumour cryoablation and nanoknife ablation” related technologies in China. Furthermore, Professor XIAO introduced in the new technology of nanoknife ablation for tumours, and carried out in-depth researches in the strengths, limitations, and clinical application of this technology, making major contributions to the clinical application of domestically produced nanoknife devices.

Professor XIAO has consistently stressed the details in and quality of surgeries, upholding the theory of “achieving the utmost efficacy with the minimal trauma”, deeply ploughing in the technology of guiding ablation therapies with imaging devices. Aiming at different tumours and lesions in special anatomical sites, he promoted individualised ablation treatment solutions, and his surgical table has become the last safe haven for the many patients with rare, difficult, and severe symptoms, enabling more cancer patients in the late stage to receive effective treatment and high-quality survival.

Ushering the Chinese Ablation Technologies to the World

From the Director Member of the Special Committee in Tumour Minimally-Invasive Treatment of the China Anti-Cancer Association, to the Chairperson of the 1st World Ablative Therapies Association (WATA), Professor Xiao Yueyong has been constantly devoted to promoting the normalisation and internationalization of ablation therapies. He has taken the lead to formulate more than ten consensus and guidelines on Tumour Minimally-Invasive Ablation Therapies, covering Experts’ Consensus on Cryoablation for Pulmonary Nodules (Version 2022), Experts’ Consensus on Cryoablation Treatment for Bones and Soft Tissues Tumours Guided by Imaging Technology (Version 2018), and Experts’ Consensus on Thermal Ablation Therapy for Benign Thyroid Nodules (Version 2025), offering significant technical references for the Chinese and even the worldwide field of ablation therapies.

Professor Xiao Yueyong has insisted on erudition and benevolence in from a normal clinic room of a Class A hospital to an international academic forum, in guiding diagnosis through refined imaging technology to making bold innovations in minimally-invasive ablation therapies. Professor XIAO has dispelled the haze for innumerable broken families, leading the Chinese interventional minimally-invasive ablation therapies to a wider global stage.

Being a doctor for four decades, Professor Xiao Yueyong has undertaken four projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China and one major underpinning subject of Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China. Professor XIAO has authored five books and co-authored six books, and released a variety of theses for more than 200, amongst which he has released more than 110 theses in the name of the First Author and Corresponding Author, and released more than 40 SCI papers. He is the Author of the magazine Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy, and the Standing Editorial Board Member of the above magazine, the Corresponding Editorial Board Member of the magazine Chinese Journal of Radiology, and the Editorial Board Member of the magazine Chinese Journal of CT and MRI. Each title and each honour of Professor XIAO in the academic territory is a solemn vote for his own great expectations of the tumour ablation therapies featuring “precision, minimally-invasive, and integration”.

Selected Publications by Professor Xiao Yueyong

According to statistics, Professor Xiao Yueyong has released more than 200 theses in total, including more than 110 theses on the Chinese and foregin high-level journals as the First Author or Corresponding Author (including more than 40 SCI papers). His research focuses widely cover cutting-edge fields including tumour ablation therapies technologies, the clinical application of nanoknife ablation technology, minimally-invasive interventional surgical methodology, and nanomedicine combined therapies. Meanwhile, he has assumed the Author of a number of books including Argon-Helium Knife Tumour Ablation Therapy, Spinal Interventional Therapy and CT-Guided Interventional Therapy, etc.

Reports in Academic Conferences and Internationally Released Papers

Professor Xiao Yueyong has been invited to give oral reports and received rewards in the international academic conferences such as the International Society of Cryosurgery (ISC) held in Vienna, Austria. His team has accumulated long-term follow-up data on CT/MRI-guided conformal cryoablation therapy and nanoknife ablation therapy, and released them in famous international journals. Amongst the data, there are multiple treatment pathways featuring great difficulty in operational techniques and high precision, which stay at a very high level at home and abroad. The technological achievements have been highly recognized by the international academic community.

Chief Editor/Deputy Editor of Works

Professor Xiao Yueyong is the Chief Editor on Argon-Helium Knife Tumour Ablation Therapy, CT-Guided Interventional Therapy, and Spinal Interventional Therapy, the Chief Translator on Interventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and the Deputy Editor on Liver Tumour Ablation Therapies and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-guided Minimally-invasive Treatment Therapies. The series of multiple works on interventional medicine and radiology of which Professor Xiao Yueyong is the Chief Editor or Co-Editor, have systematically elaborated on the technological system covering cryoablation, nanoknife ablation therapy, and non-vascular interventional therapy, which have become the essentially important reference textbooks on radiograhics and interventional medicine in China, making excellent contributions to the professionalism and normalised development of the discipline.

The Academic Papers with Professor Xiao Yueyong as the First Author

1. Xiao Yueyong, and Zhang Jinshan. Experiments and Clinical Studies of CT-guided Percutaneous Tumour Ablation Therapies. Doctoral disseration, China PLA General Hospital Postgrad Medical College.

This thesis is a major achievement of Professor XIAO during his doctoral research period. This thesis has systematically explored the operation regulations, precision control, complications prevention, and long-term efficacy in implementing a variety of percutaneous tumour ablation therapies under the guidance of CT (including chemical ablation, radiofrequency ablation, etc.). This research has, through detailed experimental data and a solid accumulation of clinical cases, solved the critical conundrums such as dissecting complicated body parts and planning tumour puncture paths and demarcation for the ablation boundaries. Thus, this thesis has provided extremely valuable theories and operational references for the promotion and popularization of the non-vascular interventional technique under the guidance of imaging devices in China.

2. Xiao Yueyong, and Zhang Jinshan. Status Quo and Prospect for Biodegradable Stents.

This thesis has systematically summarised the development history and application prospect of biodegradable stents in the vascular interventional therapy, discussing the mechanism and prevention and treatment strategies of vascular restenosis after implanting metal in-stents, and implementing an in-depth analysis of the materials, production techniques, and the status quo of the clinical application of the degradable stents.

3. Xiao Yueyong, Zhang Jinshan, Cui Fuzhai, and Meng Bo. Experimental Study of Biodegradable Paclitaxel Stents in Preventing Vascular Restenosis. Chinese Journal of Radiology, 2004.

This thesis has, through studying animal experiments, evaluated the efficacy and safety of using biodegradable paclitaxel stents in preventing vascular restenosis, providing experimental references for the research and development and clinical application of biodegradable stents with medicinal coating.

4. Xiao Yueyong, Zhang Jinshan, Cui Fuzhai, and Meng Bo. Novel Biodegradable Polymer Stents. China Medical Devices Information, 2004.

This thesis has introduced the material selection, production techniques, and preliminary performance evaluation of novel biodegradable polymer stents, providing references for subsequent improvement and optimization of biodegradable stents.

5. Xiao Yueyong. Striving to Enhance the Efficacy of Individualised Tumour Interventional Therapies under the Guidance of Imaging Techniques. Journal of Interventional Radiology, 2016, (05):371-373.

This thesis is a review article, which systematically reviews the principles and strategies of the individualised tumour interventional therapies under the guidance of imaging techniques. The author notes that the various interventional technologies means under the guidance of imaging techniques all have their own respective strengths and weaknesses, and should be selected and applied rationally, to give full play to their largest strength. The principles that the individualised tumour interventional therapies comply should be safety, simplicity and convenience, efficiency, and economy, avoiding using a single technology to treat all kinds of tumours. It is recommended to select the combined therapies of the most suitable one or two therapies according to the type and location of a tumour and its relation to neighboring important organs, to achieve the best effect.

6. Xiao Yueyong, and Wei Yingtian. Safely and Effectively Implementing Percutaneous Puncture of Small Pulmonary Nodules Biopsy and Ablation Therapies. Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy, 2021, 18(1):2-3.

This thesis, as an important review of this journal, has crucially discussed the safety and effectiveness of the percutaneous puncture biopsy and ablation therapies of small pulmonary nodules. Professor XIAO has, from clinical practices, systematically looked at the prevention of complications in puncture biopsy, bleeding control, and the normalised operation procedures of ablation therapies, providing important theoretical guidance for the normalisation and homogenisation of the minimally-invasive treatment of small pulmonary nodules. This thesis has received the support from the Project (81771941) of National Natural Science Foundation.

7. Xiao Yueyong, Meng Xiaodong, Li Jiliang, and Chen Chun. Using CT-guided Ozone Ablation Therapy to Treat Lumbar Disc Herniation. Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy, 2005.

This research discusses the methods and efficacy of using CT-guided ozone ablation therapy to treat lumbar disc herniation, providing early-stage data support to the clinical promotion of this technology.

8. Xiao Yueyong, Ying Yifeng, Wang Yuting, Li Jiakai, Tian Jinlin, Yang Bo, Meng Xiaodong, and Chen Chun. Using CT-guided Ozone Ablation Therapy to Treat Cervical Disc Herniation. Chinese Journal of Radiology, 2007.

This thesis has discussed the efficacy of using CT-guided ozone ablation therapy to treat cervical disc herniation. This research has incorporated 86 patients (37 cases of spinal cord type, 30 cases of nerve root type, and 19 cases of sympathetic type), injecting ozone through puncturing the front oblique path of the neck under the guidance of CT. In the follow-up sessions 3 months after the treatment, it shows that 78% of the patients reach the effective indicators, 16% of the patients have efficacy, and 6% of the patients have no efficacy. The research concludes that this technology is safe and convenient, which can be used as a minimally-invasive approach for treating the cervical disc herniation in the early and middle stage.

9. Xiao Yueyong, Sun Gang, Sun Zhenfeng, and Chen Jing. Commenting on the Quantitative Indicators of the Efficacy of Intervertebral Disc Herniation--Disc Herniation Index (DHI). Chinese Journal of Radiology, 1995.

This thesis has raised the quantitative indicators system for commenting on the efficacy of intervertebral disc herniation, providing objective standards for making a clinical evaluation of the treatment efficacy of the intervertebral disc herniation.

10.Xiao Yueyong. The Application and Prospect of Non-Vascular Interventional Therapies. Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy, 2020, (01).

This thesis systematically reviews the application status quo and the future development pathway of the non-vascular interventional technology, covering the technological system from puncture biopsy to various ablation therapies, providing a forward-looking perspective for the future development of this field.

11. Xiao Yueyong, and Zhang Xin. The Application of NanoKnife Ablation Therapy in Liver Cancer. Electronic Journal of Liver Tumour, 2015, (02).

This thesis systematically introduces the application of NanoKnife (irreversible electroporation) ablation therapy in the treatment of liver tumour. The thesis analyses the special strengths of this technology over traditional thermal ablation therapy in the treatment of tumours in special anatomical sites. It has laid a foundation for the clinical promotion of NanoKnife ablation therapy.

12. Xiao Yueyong. Ushering in the New Venture for Interventional Medicine Hands in Hands. Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy, 2025, 22(1):1.

This article is an essay celebrating the new year, giving expectations and blessings to the new venture of the magazine Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy.

13. Xiao Yueyong, and Zhang Xiao. The Individualised Choice-making and Analysis of Efficacy in Tumour Minimally-Invasive Treatment Therapies. Collected papers of the 2013 Tumour Ablation Therapies Workshop, 2013.

This workshop paper systematically discusses the individualised choice-making strategy for the chemical ablation, physical ablation, and radioactive seeds implantation in the comprehensive minimally-invasive treatment of tumours, emphasising on selecting the most suitable treatment solutions according to the specific conditions of patients, thus maximising the benefits of patients.

14. Using CT-guided Ozone Discectomy to Treat Cervical Disc Herniation and Lumbar Disc Herniation. The collected papers of the 1st International Congress of Medical Imaging and Interventional Medicine, 2025.

This thesis discusses the application of CT-guided percutaneous ozone discectomy in the treatment of cervical disc herniation and lumbar disc herniation, preliminarily verifying the safety and effectiveness of this minimally-invasive technology.

15. Xiao Yueyong. Scientific Knowledge Popularization of Tumour Prevention and Treatment--Minimally-Invasive Treatment. 2025.

This thesis is a systematic scientific knowledge popularization article, covering the application of minimally-invasive treatment therapies including puncture biopsy, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, cryoablation, nanoknife ablation, and radioactive seeds implantation in tumour individualisation and comprehensive diagnosis and treatmetn.

16. Zhang Jinshan, and Xiao Yueyong. The Minimally-Invasive Treatment of Intervertebral Disc Herniation. Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy, 2005.

This thesis systematically introduces the progresses on the technological methods and clinical application of the minimally-invasive treatment of intervertebral disc herniation.

17. Zhang Jinshan, and Xiao Yueyong. Actively and Properly Implementing Tumour NanoKnife Ablation New Therapies. Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy, 2015, 12:257-258.

This thesis comments on the tumour nanoknife ablation new therapy, calling for paying attention to safety while actively promoting the application of this new therapy, providing references for the normalised implementation of the nanoknife therapy in China.

Academic Papers with Professor Xiao Yueyong as the Corresponding Author

1. DNA Damage Inducer Mitoxantrone Amplifies Synergistic Mild-Photothermal Chemotherapy for TNBC via Decreasing Heat Shock Protein 70 Expression. Advanced Science, 2023.

Professor Xiao Yueyong has assumed the Joint Corresponding Author for this thesis. This research has, with Researcher LIANG Xingjie’s team in National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, innovatively researched and developed a mitoxantrone nanomicelle system. The research has revealed for the first time that in the process of photothermal therapy, MTO can effectively inhibit the over expression of heat shock Protein 70, and largely increase the damages of the DNA of tumour cells through mild-photothermal chemotherapy. This nanomicelle has demonstrated as high as a 54.6% of the photothermal conversion efficiency, realising a high-efficacy photothermal chemotherapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) with high metastasis rate and high mortality rate.

2. Multimode Co-clustering CT | MR | US-guided Remote Control Robotic Real-time Puncture: A Pilot Study. Heliyon, 2024, 10(7).

Professor Xiao Yueyong participated in writing this thesis as a Corresponding Author. This prospective study is purposed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and precision of implementing real-time puncture surgery by remote control robotic under the guidance of low-dose CT fluoroscope. The study adopts Taguchi method, setting different control groups to carry out condition-controlled puncture surgeries. The result shows that the innovative remote control robotic real-time puncture system is extremely precise and reliable, laying a solid foundation for implementing high-precision interventional surgery in the complex anotomical sites or even remote scene in the future.

3. Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Plus Apatinib for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-label, Phase III Trial. BMC Medicine, 2025, 23(1): 313.

Professor Xiao Yueyong participates in this multicenter, Phase III trial, randomised, controlled clinical trial, as a Co-Author. This research evaluates the efficacy&safety of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization