Longterm survival outcomes of patients undergoing treatment with radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic colorectal cancer liver tumors.

BACKGROUND: We aim to investigate long-term survival outcomes in patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation (RFA), based on our longitudinal 5 and 10 year follow-up data.

METHODS: All patients who underwent RFA for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and colorectal liver metastasis (CLM) between 1999 and 2010.

RESULTS: 320 patients were included with oncologic diagnoses of HCC in 122 (38.1%) and CLM in 198 (61.9%). The majority of patients had a single tumor ablation (71% RFA 1 lesion). Minimum 5 year follow-up information was available in 89% patients, with a median follow-up of 115.3 months. In patients with HCC, disease eventually recurred in 73 (64%) patients. In patients with CLM, disease recurrence was ultimately seen in 143 (84.1%) patients. In the HCC group, the 5- and 10-year overall survivals were 38.5% and 23.4%, while in the CLM group, the 5- and 10-year overall survivals were 27.6% and 15%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The use of RFA as a part of treatment strategy for primary and metastatic liver tumors imparts 10-year overall survivals of >23% and 15%, respectively. This study indicates that long-term survival is possible with RFA treatment.