Local radiofrequency ablation techniques for liver metastases of colorectal cancer

Local ablative techniques have been used for several decades in the treatment of colorectal liver metastases and are gaining more and more interest. At this time radiofrequency ablation is the most popular local ablative technique with interesting results on local tumour control, disease tree and overall survival. However, the exact place in the treatment of non-resectable colorectal liver metastases and its possible place in the treatment of resectable liver metastases has still to be defined. This article describes the feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of radiofrequency ablation, together with the results of the most cited articles, to form a critical review on the use of this technique in the treatment of colorectal liver metastases. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.