title: Five-year survival in 309 patients with colorectal liver metastases treated with radiofrequency ablation.
abstract: There is little published long-term survival data for patients with colorectal liver metastases treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA). We present a multivariate analysis of 5-year survival in 309 patients (198 male, aged 64 (24-92)) treated at 617 sessions. Our standard protocol used internally cooled electrodes introduced percutaneously under combined US and CT guidance/monitoring. The number and size of liver metastases, the presence and location of extrahepatic disease, primary resection, clinical, chemotherapy and follow-up data were recorded. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v.10. On multivariate analysis, significant survival factors were the presence of extrahepatic disease (p < 0.001) and liver tumour volume (p = 0.001). For 123 patients with five or less metastases of 5 cm or less maximum diameter and no extrahepatic disease median survival was 46 and 36 months from liver metastasis diagnosis and ablation, respectively; corresponding 3- and 5-year survival rates were 63%, 34% and 49%, 24%. Sixty-nine patients had three or less tumours of below 3.5 cm in diameter and their 5-year survival from ablation was 33%. There were 23/617(3.7%) local complications requiring intervention. Five-year survival of 24-33% post ablation in selected patients is superior to any published chemotherapy data and approaches the results of liver resection.
authors.affiliation: University College Hospital and University College London Medical School, London, UK. a.gillams@medphys.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gillams
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Lees
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome