Ablation of liver cancer

Ablative therapies of the malignant liver tumors are used frequently all over the world. It is a very well tolareted minimally invasive treatment, followed by a short observation period. Patients might be sent home within 24 hours. Nowadays, there is suffi cient data supporting its effectiveness in the treatment of early primary liver cancer, equalling the results of surgical resection. The situation is different in liver metastasis, especially from coloectal cancer. In these cases ablative techniques have a supporting role, limiting their action on the multimorbid patients and small non-resectable tumors. These facts and trends – worldwide and in Hungary – are discussed, focusing on effectiveness, places in therapeutic protocols and domestic diffi culties.