IFNG and cancer: Although the mechanism of how thermal ablation can activate anti-tumor immunity has not been fully elucidated, recent studies have suggested that thermal ablation could modulate systemic anti-tumor immunity by activating various steps in the cancer immunity cycle, including: release of neoantigen and danger signals (10, 11); upregulation of immune cells in peripheral blood (12, 13); increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (14, 15); elevation of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and other pro-inflammatory cytokines (16, 17), and a reduction in immunosuppressive regulatory T (Treg) cells (18).