Radiofrequency ablation may slow down the progression of metastatic colorectal cancer

This report aimed to establish if radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver metastases originating from colorectal cancer (CRC) provides any benefits to patients with Stage IV of the disease. Main result: RFA extends progression-free survival by 7 months.

RFA is a medical procedure for treating patients with small tumors or metastases (cancer cells that spread outside their original organ to distant parts in the body). It is performed by placing a needle-like probe inside the tumor. The radiofrequency waves are then passed through the probe. This heats the tumor tissue and results in its destruction.

This trial included 119 patients with advanced CRC (stage 4, or metastatic) who developed metastases in their liver. All participants received standard treatment with chemotherapy. Half of the patients were treated with RFA (directed at the liver metastases) in addition to chemotherapy.

Patients were followed-up for 30 months after treatment. About 60% of them were still alive by then. The survival rates were similar in both groups of patients, but due to the small size of the trial no conclusions could be drawn about survival benefits.

However, the addition of RFA significantly extended the period of survival without progression of the cancer. It increased by 7 months and reached 16.8 months compared to 9.9 months in patients treated with chemotherapy only.

These results point to some benefit of combining RFA with chemotherapy for the treatment of CRC patients with liver metastasis, without any evidence of improved survival rates.