Evaluating the effectiveness and safety of microwave ablation therapy for the treatment of lung metastases in patients with colorectal cancer.

This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of microwave ablation (MWA) therapy for the treatment of lung metastases in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The data showed that MWA therapy might be a safe and effective option for these patients.

CRC is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. Some patients do not report symptoms with the initial tumor. These patients are often only diagnosed when the cancer has spread to other areas (metastatic CRC). When CRC spreads, or metastasizes, one of the places it frequently goes to is the lung tissue. The primary goal of any type of treatment is to destroy all cancerous cells. This includes a margin of normal tissue while minimizing damage to the remaining tissue.

Microwave ablation (MWA) therapy involves guiding a probe via the blood vessels to the metastases and delivering microwave energy to destroy the tumor. The effectiveness and safety of percutaneous CT-guided MWA for the treatment of lung metastases in patients with CRC remain unclear.

This study involved 31 patients with CRC. All patients underwent CT-guided MWA treatment to remove 45 lung metastases from CRC.

The average overall survival was 76 months. 93.5% of the patients were alive after 1 year, 80.6% were alive after 2 years, 61.3% were alive after 3 years, and 51.6% were alive after 5 years. The primary tumor from the rectum and liver metastases at the diagnosis of lung metastases were risk factors affecting overall survival.

The average survival without cancer worsening was 13 months. 45.2% of the patients were alive without cancer worsening after 1 year, 32.3% were alive without cancer worsening after 2 years, 25.8% were alive without cancer worsening after 3 years, and 22.6% were alive without cancer worsening after 5 years.

The maximum diameter of lung metastases lesions was a risk factor affecting survival without cancer worsening. The interval between pulmonary metastases and MWA was the protective factor affecting survival without cancer worsening.

Pneumothorax (collapsed lung) was observed in 13 out of 36 procedures. 4 patients developed pneumothorax requiring drainage tube insertion. 9.67% of the patients were found to have a local recurrence of the original lung metastatic ablation place.

This study concluded that MWA therapy might be a safe and effective option for the treatment of lung metastases in patients with CRC.

This study looked back in time at medical records. The sample size was very small. This study only included patients treated at a single institution in China.