Radiofrequency ablation of hepatic metastases

The liver is one of the most common sites for cancer metastases that result in significant morbidity and mortality. Although surgical resection is associated with improvements in local control and survival, only a minority of patients are candidates for this approach. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an important alternative/complementary tool in the treatment of metastatic disease to the liver and can lead to palliation as well as increased survival in selected patients. RFA has been shown to be safer and better tolerated than other ablative techniques and has been associated with a low rate of local recurrence when performed properly. RFA also has shown some promise in combination with surgical resection and other therapies. Patients who undergo RFA still suffer from progressive metastatic disease, reinforcing the premise that local therapies have little impact on the natural history of aggressive cancers. Trials combining RFA with surgical resection and regional and systemic chemotherapy are ongoing and it is the hope that RFA combined with multimodality adjuvant therapy will reduce the development of both local disease and progressive metastatic disease, leading to improved overall survival.