title: Stereotactic Radiofrequency Ablation for Metastatic Melanoma to the Liver.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the outcome of patients with melanoma liver metastasis treated with stereotactic radiofrequency ablation (SRFA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Following IRB approval, a retrospective evaluation of the treatment of 20 patients with 75 melanoma liver metastases was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A median number of 2 lesions (range 1-14) per patient with a median size of 1.7 cm (range 0.5-14.5 cm) were treated. 67 lesions were <3 cm (89.3 %) and 8 lesions were >3 cm (10.7 %). Per patient a median of 1 ablation session was performed (range: 1-4) totaling 34 sessions. There were no procedure-related deaths and all major complications (n = 3) could be easily treated by pleural drainages. The primary and secondary success rates were 89.3 and 93.3 %, respectively. The overall local recurrence rate was 13.3 %. Four of ten local recurrences were re-treated successfully by SRFA. During follow-up, 9/20 patients developed extrahepatic metastatic disease and 10/20 had liver recurrence at any location. The median OS from the date of SRFA was 19.3 months, with an OS of 64, 41, and 17 % at 1, 3, and 5 years, with no significant difference for patients with cutaneous and ocular melanoma. The median DFS after SRFA for all 20 patients was 9.5 months, with 37, 9, and 0 % at 1, 3, and 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to the high local curative potential and the promising long-term survival rates associated with minimal morbidity and mortality, radiofrequency ablation seems to be an attractive alternative to resection in patients with melanoma liver metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Oncology - Microinvasive Therapy (SIP), Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. reto.bale@i-med.ac.at.
authors.forename: Reto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bale
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Oncology - Microinvasive Therapy (SIP), Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schullian
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmuth
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Oncology - Microinvasive Therapy (SIP), Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Gerlig
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Widmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Section of Interventional Oncology - Microinvasive Therapy (SIP), Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstr. 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jaschke
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weinlich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000601:surgery; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Liver metastasis; Melanoma; Navigation; Radiofrequency ablation; Stereotaxy