Combined Liver Surgery and RFA for Patients With Gastroenteropancreatic Endocrine Tumors Presenting With More Than 15 Metastases to the Liver
Eur J Surg Oncol. 2009 Oct 1;35(10):1092-1097, D Elias, D Goéré, G Leroux, C Dromain, S Leboulleux, Th de Baere, M Ducreux, E Baudin
ABSTRACT
Aim: The aim of this study was to report the feasibility and early survival results of liver metastases (LM) resection combining cytoreductive surgery and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) during a one-step procedure, in patients presenting more than 15 bilateral LM from well-differentiated endocrine carcinoma. It is an extensive application of the current guidelines.
Methods: In this retrospective review of a prospectively collected database, we used a combination of hepatectomy to treat large or contiguous LM, and extensively used multiple RFA to treat the remaining LM which were smaller than 2.5 cm. Patients were selected based on a low natural tumor burden slope, and the technical feasibility of treating all the detectable LM.
Results: From January 2002 to May 2007, 16 patients with a median of 23 LM per patient (mean number: 25.7 + 12; range16-89) underwent this procedure. A mean of 15 + 9 LM per patient were surgically removed and a mean of 12 + 8 (median of 10) LM per patient were RF ablated. No mortality occurred. Morbidity was observed in 11 patients (69%). The 3-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were similar to those observed in our preliminary series of 47 hepatectomized patients with a median of 7 LM per patient.
Conclusion: This new one-step combined technique allowed us to apply an ‘‘upgraded’’ therapeutic approach to a selection of patients presenting a median of 23 LM per patient and to improve their prognosis, putting it on par with that obtained by conventional hepatectomy.
