Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 10, 2025
Application of Laparoscopic Hepatectomy Combined with Intraoperative Microwave Ablation in Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis
Published on: March 3, 2023
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Resection Versus Thermal Ablation of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases (New Comet):
Ingrid Schrøder Hansen1,2,3, Karina Roheim Lappen4,5, Kristoffer Watten Brudvik6
1The Intervention Centre, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. ingrid.schroder.hansen@gmail.com.
Background:
The use of thermal ablation of liver tumors is rapidly increasing. This is despite a lack of high-level evidence of the oncologic efficacy of ablation. Ablation is most often used in cases where resection is not possible, but as the technique has improved it is increasingly used as a substitute for resection.
Patients And Methods:
New Comet is an international multicenter randomized controlled double-blinded, non-inferiority trial comparing thermal ablation to resection of colorectal liver metastases. It will include 230 patients with colorectal liver metastases (up to 5 lesions, tumor size up to 3 cm) where thermal ablation and resection both are considered suitable treatment options for all lesions. The patients are randomized to either resection or ablation, and all lesions in each patient are treated with the same modality. Complete ablation will be verified with intraoperative computed tomography and ablation confirmation software.
Conclusions:
The primary endpoint is local tumor recurrence at 12 months. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, disease-free survival, time to surgical failure, health-related quality of life, complications, and cost-effectiveness (trial registration no.: NCT05129787).
