[Microwave tumor coagulation (MTC) in liver tumor: indication and percutaneous approach]

Indications for microwave tumor coagulation (MTC) and percutaneous approach in liver tumor were investigated. The study population comprised 26 patients with unresectable liver tumor (4 with hepatocellular carcinoma, 22 with metastatic liver tumor) who underwent MTC at our department after April 1990. Concomitant therapies were alcohol injection in 2 patients, hepatectomy in 12 and selective arterial chemotherapy in 20. Percutaneous MTC was performed on 2 patients with a single lesion under general anesthesia. Following tip coagulation electrode penetration under echo guidance, the lesion was thermally coagulated at 60W. To establish indications for MTC by the effect of thermal coagulation, survival periods were compared by underlying disease, number of masses coagulated, and maximum tumor size, in 23 patients who had undergone MTC at least 1 year previously. Thirteen of these 23 survived for 1 year or longer, including all 3 with hepatocellular carcinoma, 3 with breast cancer, 2 with leiomyosarcoma (gastric, small intestine), 4 of the 10 with colon cancer and 1 of the 2 with pancreatic cancer. According to evaluation of the degree of coagulation, complete coagulation was obtained in 11 of 23, all of whom had at most 6 tumor masses (of up to 3 cm in diameter) coagulated, and 9 of whom survived for 1 year or longer. Percutaneous MTC, of low invasiveness, proved useful as a tool of regional cancer therapy.