[Thermo-necrosis in nonresectable colorectal hepatic malignant tumors. Preliminary results]

We report the 19 months followup results after thermo-necrosis with steam water of non-resectable colorectal liver metastases. The studied group included 24 (18 men + 6 women) cases, aged 39-85 (mean age = 61), that were subjected to thermo-necrosis procedure between 2004-2006. Thermo-necrosis was performed per primam (1 case with non-resectable primary tumor), or either synchronous (8 cases) or at up to 53 months (15 cases) after primary tumor resection, and implied delivering of 6.7 - 87 kiloJoules to targeted lesions (for a median of 5 targets per patient liver). Concomitant with thermo-necrosis, in 8 cases some metastatic lesions were also resected (for tumor mass reduction). Followup consisted in echographic, CT, clinical and laboratory evaluation each 1-2 month.

The thermo-necrosis procedure was completed within 3 to 20 (median = 10) minutes, and no peri-operatory deaths or complication were recorded. After procedure, the treated lesions either shrunken or were stationary under imaging explorations; increasing images marked the time to tumor progression. Tumor progression was recorded in 12 cases, time to tumor progression ranging from 1 to 14 (median = 5) months; the follow up time for the remaining 12 cases ranging 3 - 18 (median = 8) months. Nine cases died at 6-15 (median = 9) months after thermo-necrosis; for the remaining 15 cases the followup time ranged 4-19 (median= 10) months. One year survival was 61%; median survival (50%) time was 9 months.

Thermo-necrosis with steam water of non-resectable colorectal liver metastases associate low invasiveness, good compliance, and time interval for tumor progression and survival comparable or better than other thermo-necrosis techniques, representing a promising palliative therapy in secondary liver cancer.