Thermal ablation of liver metastases: Current status and perspectives

Purpose. To present thermal ablation of liver metastases via laser induced thermotherapy. Material and methods. Different technical procedures of thermal ablation and online monitoring are used, as there are the MR-guided laser induced thermotherapy (LITT) and the radiofrequency ablation thermotherapy (RF). Results. In a prospective non randomized study 606 patients with liver metastases were treated via MR-guided laserinduced thermotherapy. In elusion criteria were the exclusion of extrahepatic tumor spread and a number of metastases lower than 5 and a size lower than 50 mm in diameter. The local tumor control rate in the 3 month and 6 month control study was 98,3%, the complication rate 3,5% (clinically relevant: 1,2%). The mean survival rate was 40,9 months for all patients with liver metastases without statistically relevant differences for various primaries,like colorectal carcinoma, breast cancer and various other tumors. Results for radiofrequency are so far limited with incidence of a higher local tumor recurrence rate versus LITT. Conclusion. MR-guided LITT results in a high local tumor control rate with improved survival.