title: Radiofrequency ablation of liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most patients with colorectal carcinoma will develop liver metastases. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been utilized in metastatic CRC to help improve the survival gap between resectable and unresectable tumor.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current use of RFA in selected patient populations is reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RFA provides a survival benefit in patients with unresectable hepatic metastases from CRC compared with chemotherapy alone. It offers effective local tumor destruction in appropriately selected lesions and minimizes the morbidity and mortality of an open resection. Common complications are abdominal bleeding (1.6%), abdominal infection (1.1%), and injury to the biliary tree (1.0%). Mortality ranges from 0% to 0.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trials are underway to compare chemotherapy plus local ablation to chemotherapy alone. RFA is a tool that should be utilized by experienced individuals to achieve optimal oncologic outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Feliberti
authors.forename: Lawrence D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Wagman
mesh_terms: D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome