Radiofrequency ablation of primary and metastatic liver tumors.
Worldwide, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and deadly solid cancers. At least one million new patients are diagnosed annually with this cancer. Incidence in non-Western countries is related to infections of hepatitis B virus and dietary ingestion of aflatoxins, whereas in Western countries alcohol-related cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis C virus infection are leading causes of HCC. In the United States, approximately 155,000 new cases of cancer of the liver and bile duct occur annually, with the majority being colorectal metastases.