CRYOABLATION OF HEPATIC MALIGNANCY - AN EVALUATION OF TUMOR-MARKER DATA AND SURVIVAL IN 110 PATIENTS

Hepatic cryotherapy has been advocated as a method of destroying unres ectable hepatic tumors. For colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases, region al arterial therapy has already been shown to achieve high response ra tes and improve survival. This is the first large study where both wer e used. Hepatic cryotherapy was used in 110 patients with inoperable l iver tumors: a mean of 3.9 tumors were treated. There was one post-ope rative cardiac and another late septic death. Median survival was 826 days. In the 92 patients with colorectal cancer, median survival was 7 71 days and 18 patients remain tumour-free at 3-35 months. In CEA secr etors, a post-operative reduction was achieved in 83% and in 52% of th ese patients it returned to the normal range. In the second half of th e series, CEA reduction was significantly better. Normalisation of CEA was associated with a median survival in excess of 1 000 days. Hepati c cryotherapy with regional arterial therapy is safe and is likely to be of value to some patients with unresectable liver cancer.