Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Application of Laparoscopic Hepatectomy Combined with Intraoperative Microwave Ablation in Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis
Published on: March 3, 2023
Radiofrequency ablation of liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma
Eric C Feliberti1, Lawrence D Wagman
1Division of Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
Background:
Most patients with colorectal carcinoma will develop liver metastases. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been utilized in metastatic CRC to help improve the survival gap between resectable and unresectable tumor.
Methods:
The current use of RFA in selected patient populations is reviewed.
Results:
RFA provides a survival benefit in patients with unresectable hepatic metastases from CRC compared with chemotherapy alone. It offers effective local tumor destruction in appropriately selected lesions and minimizes the morbidity and mortality of an open resection. Common complications are abdominal bleeding (1.6%), abdominal infection (1.1%), and injury to the biliary tree (1.0%). Mortality ranges from 0% to 0.5%.
Conclusions:
Trials are underway to compare chemotherapy plus local ablation to chemotherapy alone. RFA is a tool that should be utilized by experienced individuals to achieve optimal oncologic outcomes.
