Radiofrequency Ablation for Cancer

Radiofrequency Ablation
for Liver Cancer

CT scan of colon cancer spread to the liver, 2 hours post RF treatment

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2.5 years post RF treatment

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Cancers That Originate in the Liver

RF ablation has shown excellent results in treating primary liver tumors such as hepatoma or hepatocellular carcinoma, since these tumors tend to be slow-growing and encapsulated (enclosed within a capsule inside the liver).

It is especially useful for patients who are not ideal surgical candidates, cannot undergo surgery, have recurrent tumors or don't respond to conventional therapies.

The following types of cancers that originate in the liver are most likely to be successfully treated with RF ablation:

• Tumors 4 centimeters (cm) or smaller — larger tumors may require additional therapies
• Three or fewer tumors per patient — if there are more than three, RF ablation can be performed but is less successful
• Patients waiting for a liver transplantation who have a hepatoma

Cancers That Spread to the Liver

The most common metastatic disease in the liver treated by RF ablation has been colon cancer. Results with RF ablation are good if the tumors are small and few. The ideal candidates for treatment have these conditions:

• Tumors are less than 4 cm
• No more than three tumors
• No evidence of metastatic disease elsewhere

Radiofrequency ablation may also help in patients who are undergoing surgery. For example, RF ablation can be combined with surgery to treat a patient who has several tumors in different locations. RF ablation also can be used to treat tumor recurrence; for instance, in patients who have had surgical resection of a metastatic tumor that recurs.

Results for Liver Tumors

RF ablation is safe and effective and has a very low rate of complications. Reported preliminary survival curves are encouraging for small, solitary colorectal carcinoma (less than 2 cm) and hepatomas (less than 3-4 cm). Recent reports indicate that RF ablation results in complete cell death in the majority of hepatomas of 3-4 cm in size. Patients who have residual tumors can be re-treated if necessary. In patients who have metastatic colon cancer, re-treatment results are similar.