[Techniques of thermal ablation in primary hepatic carcinoma and metastatic tumors of colorectal cancer].

Liver metastases develop in 30-50 per cent of patients with colorectal cancer. Without treatment, the median survival is approximately 7 months. Recent results from multiple investigations indicate that several minimally invasive treatment techniques are very effective for treating primary and secondary malignant hepatic tumors and they may replace surgical resection in the near future. Thermal ablation techniques for the treatment of primary and secondary malignant hepatic tumors include both freezing (cryoablation) and heating (microwave, laser, and high-intensity focused ultrasound) are characterized in this article.