title: Radiofrequency ablation vs. hepatic resection for resectable colorectal liver metastases.
abstract: The treatments of resectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) are controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the relative efficacy and safety of hepatic resection (HR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for treating resectable CRLM. Between January 2004 and May 2010, the enrolled patients were given hepatic resection (HR group; n=32) or percutaneous RFA (RFA group; n=21) as a first-line treatment for CRLM. All the tumors had a maximum diameter of 3.5 cm and all patients had five or less tumors. The patient background, tumor characteristics, cumulative survival rate and recurrence-free survival rate were assessed in both groups. There were significantly more patients with comorbidities in the RFA group than those in the HR group (17 in RFA group vs. 10 in HR group; P<0.000). The mean maximum tumor diameter in the HR group and RFA group was 2.25±0.68 and 1.89±0.62 cm (P=0.054), and the mean number of tumors was 2.28±1.05 and 2.38±1.12 (P=0.744), respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year cumulative survival rates in the HR group were 87.5%, 53.1% and 31.3%, respectively, and those in the RFA group were 85.7%, 38.1% and 14.2%, respectively with the differences being not significant between the two groups (P=0.062). The 1-, 3- and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates in the HR group were 90.6%, 56.3% and 28.1%, respectively, and those in the RFA group were 76.1%, 23.8% and 4.8%, respectively, with the differences being significant between the two groups (P=0.036). In conclusion, as HR has greater efficacy than RFA in the treatment of resectable CRLM, we recommend it as the first option for this malignancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Qian-Na
authors.initials: QN
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China. wangguobin_union@163.com.
authors.forename: Guo-Bin
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
authors.forename: Kai-Xiong
authors.initials: KX
authors.lastname: Tao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: hepatectomy; hepatic resection; radiofrequency ablation; resectable colorectal liver metastases