Treatment of liver colorectal metastases: role of laparoscopy, radiofrequency ablation, and microwave coagulation.

Overview

Up to 50% of patients with colorectal cancer will develop metastatic disease in the liver. While surgical extirpation remains the best option for long-term survival, several complementary modalities such as laparoscopy, radiofrequency ablation, and microwave coagulation have gained wide acceptance as primary and adjunct therapies for both resectable and unresectable disease. This review will focus on the application and outcome of these techniques in patients with colorectal liver metastases.