Radiofrequency for the treatment of liver tumours

Resection should still be considered the gold standard for many liver tumours. There is, however, growing interest in the use of radiofrequency (RFA) for the treatment of liver tumours. By RFA, tumour tissue can be destructed selectively without significant damage to vascular structures in the remaining liver. The technique is safe and feasible for many types of liver tumours. RFA appears to be beneficial in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. In the Netherlands, single-centre reports suggest that RFA may be used successfully to control hepatocellular carcinoma in those patients awaiting liver transplantation. RFA is being increasingly used for colorectal liver metastases as an adjunct to surgical resection in case of unresectable lesions. However, to date, there are still no data showing that such an approach is beneficial. For this reason, in the Netherlands, RFA for unresectable colorectal liver metastases is mainly used within a clinical trial. Within the multimodality treatment of neuroendocrine metastases, RFA may deserve a place for either intention to cure (rare) or debulking with the aim of reduction of symptoms or prolongation of life.