Examination of Tissue from Ablated Malignant Liver Metastases to Predict Outcome

In this study, researchers are evaluating a new test to see how well ablation of liver metastases has worked. When some cancers become advanced, particularly colorectal cancer, they may spread to the liver. Destroying the tissue through a needle inserted through the skin — a procedure called “percutaneous ablation” — is one way to treat these metastases in the liver.

Computed tomography(CT) scanning has been used to evaluate the ablated area after treatment. But CT scanning cannot always distinguish between new cancer cells and healthy liver cells that have been affected by the ablation.

With the new approach, liver tissue removed during the ablation procedure is examined in a laboratory to see if researchers can identify any markers that predict the effectiveness of the ablation and how well patients will fare. Patients will be followed for three years after the procedure.