Percutaneous Cryoablation Under Local Anesthesia for Pulmonary Metastases From Colorectal Cancer: Long-Term Outcomes From a Single-Institution Retrospective Cohort.

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection is the standard treatment for pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer, but its safety and long-term efficacy in medically inoperable patients remain limited. Percutaneous cryoablation is a minimally invasive alternative to surgical resection and has gained increasing attention in recent years.

AIMS: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate complication rates, local tumor control, and overall survival associated with percutaneous cryoablation for pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer.

METHODS AND

RESULTS

We retrospectively reviewed patients treated with percutaneous cryoablation from 2002-2017. Complications were defined as adverse events ≥ grade 2 per Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. In total, 126 metastatic pulmonary tumors in 48 patients were treated across 73 sessions. Complications occurred in 18 sessions (24.7%), including 2 grade ≥ 3 events (2.7%). No treatment-related deaths occurred within 30 days. With a median follow-up of 9.7 months (maximum, 155.4 months), local tumor control rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 74.5%, 58.8%, and 56.4%, respectively. Median overall survival was 3.8 years, with 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-years rates of 86.8%, 60.4%, 41.9%, and 36.6%, respectively. The relatively short median follow-up should be considered when interpreting these long-term local control estimates. Six patients achieved 10-years survival.

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous cryoablation is a safe, minimally invasive option that provides favorable local tumor control and encouraging long-term survival outcomes.