<?xml version="1.0"?><ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-09-10</periodOfReport><notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001056421</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>RITA MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>rita</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001263059</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>PEDROFF STEPHEN</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>967 N. SHORELINE BLVD.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>MOUNTAIN VIEW</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94043</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>1</isOther><otherText>VP Marketing Communications</otherText></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><derivativeTable><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Option to Purchase (Right to Buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>3.12</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-09-09</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>100000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>3.12</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>1988-08-08</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-09-02</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Shares</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>100000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>100000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Vesting is at the rate of 12.5% on the six month anniversary of 9/2/2003 and 2.0833% on each monthly anniversary thereafter.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>Stephen Pedroff, by Richard De Young, Attorney in Fact</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-09-11</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>



