title: Radiofrequency ablation of primary and metastatic liver tumors--4 years experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Radiofrequency ablation of primary and metastatic liver tumors has been shown to be one of the promising new modalities to treat or to palliate liver tumors. It has been used as a bridge to liver transplantation as well as an approach to recurrent tumors after resection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a series of 78 cases, 39 females and 39 males with a mean age of 61 years, the RFA has been used either by laparotomy or percutaneously to treat 117 lesions. There were 32 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 35 metastases of colorectal cancer and 11 cases of other tumors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean number of lesions treated were 1.5 per case with a average size of 3.6 cm per lesion. All liver segments were compromised specially IV, VII, VIII. The morbidity was 28% and the mortality was 2.5%. In 20.5% of the cases we were able to find recurrence after the procedure, with a mean time of 10.5 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RFA procedure is safe, can be performed by different ways and in the group of patients who are candidates to liver transplantation, while waiting for the organ. For the metastatic diseases it does not substitute surgery but can be used in patients who cannot be operated.
authors.affiliation: Liver Surgery and Portal Hypertension Service, Hospital das Clinicas, Brazil. drmribeiro@gastrocare.med.br
authors.forename: Marcelo A F
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Joaquim José Gama
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Angelita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Habr-Gama
authors.forename: Eleazar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chaib
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Ipolitto
authors.forename: Alexandre Zanchenko
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: William Abrão
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: William Abrão
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Saad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome