title: Quality of life and outcome of ultrasound-guided laser interstitial thermo-therapy for non-resectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with non-resectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer have poor prognosis and are mainly treated by palliative chemotherapy. Laser interstitial thermo-therapy is an innovative minimal invasive procedure for local tumour destruction within solid organs. The aim of the study was to investigate quality of life and outcome of ultrasound-guided laser interstitial thermo-therapy (US-LITT) in patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective non-randomized study, 45 patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer were palliatively treated by US-LITT. Patient survival was analysed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the quality of life by questionnaire C30 of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer before, and 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months after initiation of US-LITT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median survival after initiation of US-LITT was 8.5 +/- 0.7 months with a range of 1.5-18 months. Body weight was constant 1 month after US-LITT. In the multivariate analyses, quality-of-life symptoms and functioning scales did not deteriorate in patients alive at 6 months after initiation of US-LITT. Univariate analyses outlined a significant increase of the pain subscale before and at 1 week after US-LITT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study first describes the quality of life in patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer treated by US-LITT. Potential benefits of the minimal invasive procedure could be prolonged survival time by preserved quality of life, but this first impression needs to be verified in a comparative study.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Gastroenterologie und Endokrinologie, Zentrum Innere Medizin, Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Perdita
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wietzke-Braun
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raddatz
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Armbrust
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nolte
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ramadori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional