Question:

My mother has colon cancer with liver metastasis. They did a surgery and removed part of her liver a few years ago, but a new tumor has developed in the liver. It’s sitting really close to the main vein that feeds the liver, so the surgeon doesn’t want to cut it out. Instead he want to do an oblation(sp?). What exactly is this? Is it a common alternative to just cutting out the tumor?

Answer:

Conor P. Delaney, MD, PhD

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is now commonly used for exactly this type of situation. Selected patients who are not candidates for resection can undergo RFA, and can often do well when combined with other types of therapy (such as chemotherapy).

NetWellness Staff

Learn more about radiofrequency ablation.

For more information:

Go to the Colon Cancer health topic.