A new treatment for unresectable liver tumours: long-term studies of electrolytic lesions in the pig liver

The majority of liver tumours are inoperable and an alternative treatment t o surgical resection is urgently needed. Electrolysis has been investigated in a rat model and the procedure is safe, with accurate and predictable ef fects. The necrosis produced has also been shown to cause destruction of tu mour deposits in the rat liver. A similar evaluation in a large animal mode l was necessary before clinical trials could commence. Using platinum elect rodes connected to a d.c. generator, areas of hepatic necrosis were created in the pig liver. Animals were killed at various time points after treatme nt to assess the extent of healing. Treatment was uneventful and all animal s made a full recovery. No animal died from the treatment or had to be kill ed prematurely. After 2 days of treatment, healing was minimal but at succe ssive time points there was progressive evidence of healing, such that afte r 4 months, the original electrolytic lesion was greatly reduced in size an d the large area of necrosis seen at the early time points was largely repl aced by a fibrous scar with only small islands of necrotic tissue, in a lar ge animal model, electrolysis is a safe method for creating areas of hepati c necrosis. The lesions heal with time and are associated with minimal morb idity. The results support a trial of electrolysis in patients with unresec table liver tumours.