Local Ablation for Solid Tumor Liver Metastases: Techniques and Treatment Efficacy.

BACKGROUND

Treatment options for liver metastases from solid tumors, such as colon cancer, breast cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, and sarcomas, have expanded in recent years and now include nonresection methods.

METHODS

The literature focused on the treatment of liver metastases was reviewed for technique, perioperative, and long-term outcomes specifically related to local ablation techniques for liver metastases.

RESULTS

Ablation modalities have become popular as therapies for patients who are not appropriate candidates for surgical resection. Use of these techniques, alone or in combination with other liver-directed therapies (and often systemic therapy), has extended the rate of survival for patients with liver metastases and, at times, offers nearly equivalent disease-free survival rates to surgical resection.

CONCLUSIONS

Although surgical resection remains the optimal treatment for liver metastasis, local options, including microwave ablation and radiofrequency ablation, can offer similar long-term local control in appropriately selected patients.