Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an innovative approach to destroying inoperable primary or metastatic tumors in the liver. With ultrasound guidance, the surgeon inserts a probe through the liver tissue and into the tumor. The surgeon then delivers alternating current, or radiofrequency energy, that generates heat at the site of the lesion and destroys the tumor with almost pinpoint accuracy. Quite simply, the tumor is “burned out” by the heat. This technology has been used in thousands of patients in the United States and Europe and is one of the standard technologies used at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

The procedure
A major attraction of RFA procedure is that it can often be done via minimally invasive surgery. Treatment approaches include:

• Percutaneous, that is, through the skin without an operation
• Laparoscopic, that is, through several small incisions
• Open RFA through an abdominal incision.

In some cases, superficial tumors can be wedged out and deeper lesions destroyed by RFA – helping to preserve most of the liver tissue. Choosing the best approach for each patient depends on the number and location of the tumors in the liver. In most cases, just one RFA treatment is necessary for any given tumor. While the maximum tumor size that RFA can effectively treat has yet to be determined with certainty, the technique appears to be best suite for tumors that are smaller than 5 cm.

Depending on the size and number of tumors, the RFA procedure itself lasts between 20 minutes and 2 hours. The procedure is generally well-tolerated with minimal to no pain after the treatment. In some cases, patients experience a low-grade fever for a few days after the procedure. There is also a very low risk of bleeding or infection after the treatment. With the percutaneous or laparoscopic approach, patients usually go home the next day. Those requiring open RFA surgery usually stay in the hospital for 2-4 days. Follow-up CT scans are obtained every few months to watch for tumor recurrences.

Candidates for RFA
Typically, patients are candidates for RFA if they meet some or all of the following criteria:

• Insufficient liver reserve (poor liver function)
• Small to large tumors (up to 10 cm)
• Tumors in several areas of the liver
• Fibrosis (scar tissue) and liver tumors
• Cirrhosis and liver tumors

Your team of Liver Tumor Program doctors at Jefferson will help determine if RFA is a viable treatment option for you.

Contact us
To schedule an appointment with a Jefferson physician call 1-800-JEFF-NOW or click here.

To contact the Liver Tumor Program team at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson, please call 215-503-8752 and/or fax your records to 215-503-8755. We aim to schedule your first clinic visit within two weeks of your diagnosis being made and records being received.