Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation using internally cooled wet electrodes for treatment of colorectal liver metastases

AimTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of internally cooled wet (ICW) electrodes, which provide interstitial infusion of saline and intra-electrode cooling simultaneously, in the percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver metastases from colorectal cancer.Materials and methodsFrom February 2008 to October 2010, 27 patients with 35 hepatic metastatic lesions (mean size 1.99 cm; range 0.7–3.8 cm) underwent RFA using ICW electrodes. Of these 35 tumours, 32 had diameters ≤3 cm, and three had diameters of 3–4 cm. Moreover, 18 tumours were non-subcapsular and 17 were subcapsular.ResultsNo patients (0%) had major complications after RFA. During follow-up (median 27 months; range 4.5–36 months), 14 of the 35 treated lesions (40%) showed local tumour progression. The local tumour progression-free survival rates at 1 and 3 years were 73 and 56%, respectively. The local tumour progression-free survival period was significantly longer in patients with tumours ≤2 cm than >2 cm (p < 0.001), but did not differ significantly between patients with non-subcapsular and subcapsular tumours (p = 0.454). The overall 1 and 3 year survival rates after RFA were 100 and 77%, respectively.ConclusionsPercutaneous RFA using ICW electrodes is safe and technically feasible for the treatment of liver metastases from colorectal cancer. It provides effective local tumour control with low complication rates and reduced number of needle placements.