MR-guided laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) of liver metastases: Comparison of colorectal cancer mets versus breast cancer mets and other primary tumors regarding survival rates

Methods and Materials: 278 consecutive patients 28 to 84 years of age (mean 59 y) with a total of 822 liver metastases were treated with MR-guided LITT under local anesthesia. 533 liver metastases of colorectal cancer (175 patients), 126 liver metastases of breast cancer (48 patients) and 163 metastases of a variety of other primary tumors (55 patients) were treated with a total of 2138 laser applications. 1000 laser applications were performed by the use of a conventional laser application set (SOMATEX, Berlin Germany). For 1138 laser applications an irrigated internally cooled power laser application system (SOMATEX, Berlin, Germany) was used. MR thermometry was performed using the T 1 -weighted thermometry method. A FLASH-2D sequence (TR/TE/flip angle = 102/8/70”) was used in all patients. Cumulative survival times were calculated with the KaplanMeier method.