[Cryotherapy for primary and secondary liver tumours]

We assessed the morbidity, mortality and efficacy of cryotherapy for primary and secondary malignant liver tumours in a prospective case control study.

Since 1996 we performed 77 cryosurgical procedures on 71 patients. 6 patients had hepatocellular carcinoma, the remainders metastases, mainly of colorectal origin (n = 49). Cryotherapy was used when a complete tumour resection was not feasible, but complete tumour destruction by cryotherapy seemed possible. Mean follow-up was 21 months.

The mean number of lesions per patient was 2.6 (1-10) with a mean maximum diameter of 3.7 cm (1-11). In 36 of 71 patients cryotherapy was used in combination with liver resection. Morbidity and hospital mortality were 23 % and 2.8 %. In 25 of 34 patients with colorectal primary and preoperatively elevated CEA it returned to normal postoperatively (74 %). 40 of the 60 patients with "R0-treatment" developed tumour recurrence, 10 of these at the cryosite (17 %). Median survival for all patients (colorectal metastases) was 28 (29) months with a 3- and 5-year survival rate of 38 % (43 %) and 30 % (33 %), respectively.

Cryotherapy is an effective parenchyma sparing method for the treatment of malignant liver tumours in a curative approach. It can be performed safely and a long-term local tumour control is achieved in a high percentage of patients. Survival rates following cryotherapy appear comparable to the results of liver resection. It seems justified to conduct a prospective randomised trial comparing liver resection and cryotherapy for resectable tumours.