Radiofrequency thermotherapy for malignant liver tumors

Just as microwaves may be used to quickly heat up a slice of pizza, so radiofrequency energy may be used to heat up any electrical conductor, including human tissue. This method of applying heat may used in the treatment of cancer; in general heating, or thermotherapy, is combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy for maximum effect. Experience with the use of thermotherapy in treating liver cancer has shown it to be a promising development for the treatment of liver cancers, which are not amenable to surgery. A total of 67 liver cancers were treated and evaluated: 41 hepatocellular carcinomas, 6 cholangiocarcinomas, and 20 metastatic tumors. For the hepatocellular carcinomas, a 28 percent response was seen with thermotherapy and chemotherapy, 86 percent for thermotherapy with radiotherapy, and 33 percent with thermotherapy and artificial embolization of the hepatic artery. The responses of the non-hepatocellular carcinomas was different; 11 percent responded to thermotherapy and chemotherapy, 33 percent to thermotherapy and radiotherapy, and 89 percent for thermotherapy and embolization. Although the results are promising, the number of liver cancer patients treated is not yet large enough to determine if thermotherapy has any long-lasting therapeutic effects. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)