PERCUTANEOUS US-GUIDED RADIOFREQUENCY TISSUE ABLATION OF LIVER METASTASES - TREATMENT AND FOLLOW-UP IN 16 PATIENTS

PURPOSE: To determine the potential efficacy of radio-frequency (RF) a blation of liver metastases during long-term follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with 31 hepatic metastases were treated with percutaneous, ultrasound-guided RF ablation. RF was applied to monopo lar electrodes (2-3-cm tip exposure) either individually or within a m ultiprobe array (two to four probes) for 6 minutes at 90 degrees C ove r one to four treatment sessions per metastasis. RESULTS: In only one of 75 sessions, a moderate complication, self-limited intraperitoneal hemorrhage, was observed. Four patients (four lesions) underwent surgi cal resection 15-60 days after RF treatment. Residual, viable tumor wa s seen in all of these patients. The remaining 12 patients were follow ed up for 9-29 months (mean, 18.1 months). In these patients, 18 of 27 lesions remained stable or decreased in size and showed no enhancemen t at computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging for at leas t 9 months, Two patients died of disseminated disease at 13 months and one at 16 months. Disease-free survival was achieved in eight patient s. CONCLUSION: RF ablation appears to be a simple, safe, and potential ly effective treatment for selected patients with liver metastases and may become a less invasive alternative to surgical therapy.