Hepatic inflow occlusion increases the efficacy of interstitial laser-induced thermotherapy in rat

Interstitial laser-induced thermotherapy (ILT) destroys tumors thermally. ILT was performed for treatment of liver tumors in rats to investigate the effect of hepatic inflow occlusion on temperature distribution and lesion size. Tumors were irradiated for 20 min with near-infrared light from a neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. The laser light at a power of 1.5 W was delivered through a plane-cut optical fiber, the tip of which was placed in the tumor. Rats in group I received ILT without interruption of hepatic blood flow. Those in group II received ILT during hepatic inflow occlusion. Liver temperatures were measured during treatment. After 3 days the animals were sacrificed and the size of the lesions was measured. Occlusion of the hepatic inflow during ILT increased the maximum lesion diameter, as measured at the liver surface, by 47%. Linear interpolation between the temperatures measured at 6 and 12 mm distance from the fiber tip revealed that the temperature at the necrotic border just before the end of treatment was approximately 45 degrees C in both the occluded and nonoccluded groups, indicating that the hepatic inflow occlusion caused no increase in tissue thermal sensitivity. This study shows that occlusion of the hepatic inflow during interstitial laser-induced thermotherapy causes a significant increase in lesion size, which could have implications for the treatment of hepatic tumors.