title: CT-guided percutaneous microwave ablation of liver metastases from nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To access efficacy of percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) of liver metastases from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  From March 2007 to June 2012, 18 consecutive patients with NPC and liver metastases (15 men and three women; average age, 45.7 y; age range, 31-61 y) received computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous MWA treatment. A total of 27 ablations were performed involving 24 liver metastatic lesions in 18 patients with NPC. Average patient follow-up after ablation was 22.4 months (range, 2-52 mo). The average number of liver metastases per patient was 1.3 (range, 1-4 lesions), with lesion diameters ranging from 1.9 cm to 4.2 cm. Evaluation was then performed to assess percentage of complete necrosis, local tumor progression, and safety.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Technical success was achieved in all 27 MWA procedures performed. During follow-up, new metastatic lesions developed in four of 18 patients. Of these, two were liver metastases, and were successfully treated with repeat WMA. Only two major complications were observed: pneumothorax in a patient with an ablation pathway involving the thorax and postprocedural pain in two other patients. A median overall survival time of 41.4 months was observed (range, 2-50 mo); three of 18 patients died during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT-guided MWA is safe and offers an effective treatment alternative for local tumor control in selected patients with liver metastases from NPC.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wei-jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jian-lei
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome