The first M. D. Anderson patients had the procedure a year later. The technique can destroy liver tumors on or near major blood vessels. Side effects are minimal. As many as six to eight tumors can be treated so long as the combined tumor volume is less than 40 percent of the total liver volume. Radiofrequency ablation can be performed during conventional open surgery or through an instrument called a laparoscope inserted into the abdomen.
Intraoperative ultrasound is used to guide the heat probe to the liver tumors.
By placing the needle electrode in the tumor, a controlled ablation can be achieved. Fewer than 14,000 new cases of primary liver cancer were predicted last year in the United States. While not a common form of cancer in this country, it is listed as the 10th leading cause of cancer deaths among American men. Worldwide, primary liver cancer is the most common solid tumor, largely because of the high incidence of hepatitis virus infection in so many countries. Hepatitis B or C virus infection predisposes a large number of people to primary liver cancer.