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MR-guided interstitial laser thermotherapy of colorectal liver metastases: efficiency, safety and patient survival.

PURPOSE
Evaluation of MR-guided interstitial laser thermotherapy (ILT) of colorectal liver metastases under consideration of efficacy, safety and patient survival.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sixty-six inoperable patients with a total of 117 colorectal liver metastases were treated with MR-guided laser therapy in 96 sessions. 40.9% of patients presented metastases from rectum carcinoma, 30.3% from sigmoid carcinoma and 28.8% from colon carcinoma. Inclusion criteria were < or =5 metastases < or =5 cm in greatest diameter and no extrahepatic tumor spread. Internally water-cooled 9F power-laser-applicators were placed under CT-fluoroscopy. For MR-guided ILT, a 1064 nm Nd-YAG-lasers with a beam divider with multi applicator technique was used. The energy applied was 10 watt per centimeter diffusor length, with the diffusor length ranging from 20 to 40 mm. The mean duration of the energy application was 23 minutes (range: 15 - 37 minutes). The endpoint of the laser ablation was defined as the absence of hyperintense tumor tissue in the continuously monitored T2-w fat saturated gradient-echo sequences. Follow-up included contrast-enhanced MRI using T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo and gradient-echo sequences every three months after treatment. Survival times were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
The median follow-up was 8.7 months (mean 11.8; standard deviation 9.9; range 1 to 36). The overall median progression free survival was 6.1 months (range, 0.3 to 27+ months). Median survival was 23 months (95% CI, 17-29 months). The rate of major complications was 2.1% (n = 2) and peri-procedural mortality (30 days) was 3% (n = 2). After 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, local tumor control was 98.3%, 91.4%, 76.1%, and 69.4%, respectively. In no patient metastatic deposits along the catheter access route were found.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with colorectal liver metastases, interstitial laser thermotherapy is an effective and safe therapeutic option and therefore suitable not only in palliative situations.