Percutaneous laser ablation in patients with isolated unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer: Results of a phase II study

Figures & data

Table I.  Demographic and clinical data of patients.

N° of patients	44
Men	29
Women	15
Age (years)
Median	67.5
Range	42–82
N° of patients with Synchronous Metastases	5
N° of patients with Metachronous Metastases	39
N° of patients who had received adjuvant chemotherapy	32
Total number of liver metastases	75
N° of liver metastases per patient
Median	1
Range	1–4
Diameter of metastases (cm)
Median	3.4
Range	0.5–9
Volume of metastases (cm^3)
Median	16.8
Range	0.4–176.4

Table II.  LA results by size of liver metastases.

Diameter of liver metastases	N°	Complete response (%)	Partial response (%)
0.5–1.0 cm	7	7 (100)	0
1.1–2.0 cm	18	17 (94)	1 (6)
2.1–3.0 cm	20	15 (75)	5 (25)
3.1–4.0 cm	10	4 (40)	6 (60)
4.1–5.0 cm	7	0	6 (86)
5.1–6.0 cm	7	3 (44)	2 (28)
6.1–9.0 cm	6	0	6 (100)

Figure 1.  (a) Recurrent colorectal metastasis of the liver in a patient who had already undegone a partial resection of the right lobe. A helical CT scan shows a hypoattenuating lesion 2.7 cm in diameter in segment 3 of the left lobe.

Figure 2.  (b) 24 hours after percutaneous laser ablation a contrast-enhanced CT scan shows complete ablation of the lesion. The necrotic area appears as a hypoattenuating area 4.5 cm in diameter. During follow-up (40 months) new lesions appeared in segment 2, which were successfully treated with percutaneous laser ablation.

Figure 3.  Kaplan-Meier estimate of overall survival in patients with complete and partial necrosis of metastases.

Table III.  Local tumor control data, in cases where a complete necrosis was achieved, at 3 and 6 months after LA.

Diameter of liver metastases	N°	Local recurrence rate at 3 months (%)	Local recurrence rate at 6 months (%)
0.5–2.0 cm	24	3 (12)	2 (8)
2.1–3.0 cm	15	3 (20)	1 (7)
3.1–4.0 cm	4	0	1 (20)
>4.0 cm	3	1 (33)	0