BACKGROUND: Unresectable malignant liver tumors, particularly metastases of gastrointestinal origin, are rapidly lethal in a vast majority of patients, regardless of treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated 58 patients by laparoscopy and/or laparotomy. Thirty-nine were treated with cryoablation of liver tumors using a liquid-nitrogen cryoprobe delivering a tumoricidal temperature of -196 degrees C with intraoperative ultrasound monitoring. Histologic evaluation showed that 25 patients had colorectal metastases, 3 had gastric tumors, 4 hepatocellular carcinomas, 6 carcinoids, and 1 gastrinoma. RESULTS: All patients who received complete cryoablation are alive with a mean follow-up of 14 months. Five whose treatment could not be completed died between 3 and 9 months postoperatively. Thirteen patients (28%) have recurrent disease and 20 (51%) have no evidence of disease. There were no operative mortalities. Postoperative transient elevation of liver function tests and thrombocytopenia were noted. All patients received postoperative chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Cryoablation is an active and safe treatment for advanced liver malignancies.
BACKGROUND: Unresectable malignant liver tumors, particularly metastases of gastrointestinal origin, are rapidly lethal in a vast majority of patients, regardless of treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated 58 patients by laparoscopy and/or laparotomy. Thirty-nine were treated with cryoablation of liver tumors using a liquid-nitrogen cryoprobe delivering a tumoricidal temperature of -196 degrees C with intraoperative ultrasound monitoring. Histologic evaluation showed that 25 patients had colorectal metastases, 3 had gastric tumors, 4 hepatocellular carcinomas, 6 carcinoids, and 1 gastrinoma. RESULTS: All patients who received complete cryoablation are alive with a mean follow-up of 14 months. Five whose treatment could not be completed died between 3 and 9 months postoperatively. Thirteen patients (28%) have recurrent disease and 20 (51%) have no evidence of disease. There were no operative mortalities. Postoperative transient elevation of liver function tests and thrombocytopenia were noted. All patients received postoperative chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Cryoablation is an active and safe treatment for advanced liver malignancies.
Authors: J Yamamoto; S Iwatsuki; T Kosuge; I Dvorchik; K Shimada; J W Marsh; S Yamasaki; T E Starzl Journal: Cancer Date: 1999-10-01 Impact factor: 6.860
Authors: Sean C Glasgow; Sathyabama Kanakasabai; Sabarinathan Ramachandran; T Mohanakumar; William C Chapman Journal: J Gastrointest Surg Date: 2006-03 Impact factor: 3.452
Authors: Joachim K Seifert; Malcolm P France; Jing Zhao; Elaine J Bolton; Ian Finlay; Theodor Junginger; David L Morris Journal: World J Surg Date: 2002-09-26 Impact factor: 3.352