{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T09:57:48Z","timestamp":1781863068332,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781827200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: In selected patients with oligometastatic breast cancer liver metastases (BCLM), liver-directed therapies may provide durable local control and may delay escalation of systemic therapy. This study reports a single-center experience of percutaneous thermal ablation (radiofrequency ablation [RFA] or microwave ablation [MWA]) for BCLM, including conventional oncologic outcomes and therapy-based endpoints. Methods: This retrospective cohort included consecutive patients treated with percutaneous ablation for BCLM following multidisciplinary team approval between 2005 and 2025. Outcomes were defined according to the Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO) and DATECAN consensus terminology. Lesion-level outcomes included primary\/secondary technique efficacy and local tumor progression-free survival (LTPFS). Patient-level outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), time to change in systemic therapy (TTCST) and chemotherapy-free survival (CFS). Kaplan\u2013Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed. Results: Forty-six patients underwent 58 ablation sessions treating 80 metastases (median tumor size 19 mm, interquartile range [IQR] 13\u201327 mm). Primary and secondary technique efficacy were 95% (76\/80) and 99% (79\/80), respectively. Major complications occurred in 2\/58 sessions (3%). Local tumor progression occurred in 16\/79 tumors (20%) after a median follow-up of 28 months; LTPFS rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 84%, 75% and 75%, respectively. Median OS was 44 months (1-, 3- and 5-year OS 94%, 58%, and 40%), and median PFS was 8.3 months. Median TTCST was 13 months, and median CFS was 16.4 months. Triple-negative disease was associated with worse LTPFS and shorter CFS. Oligopersistent disease was associated with improved PFS compared with oligoprogression. Conclusions: In this selected cohort, percutaneous thermal ablation for BCLM achieved high technique efficacy, durable local control and low major complication rates. Therapy-based endpoints suggest a clinically meaningful interval without systemic therapy escalation in appropriately selected patients, although comparative studies are needed to quantify the incremental benefit.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers18121997","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T09:18:43Z","timestamp":1781860723000},"page":"1997","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Thermal Ablation of Breast Cancer Liver Metastases Is Associated with Durable Local Control and Chemotherapy-Free Intervals in Selected Patients"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-0432-8651","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Niaz","family":"Ahmed","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2068-2593","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alicia","family":"Okines","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sophie","family":"McGrath","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marina","family":"Parton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4912-8502","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emma","family":"Kipps","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicholas","family":"Turner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Edward","family":"Johnston","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stephen","family":"Johnston","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0722-1386","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nicos","family":"Fotiadis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW3 6JJ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"229","article-title":"Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries","volume":"74","author":"Bray","year":"2024","journal-title":"CA Cancer J. Clin."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"615","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(09)70029-4","article-title":"Hepatic complications of breast cancer","volume":"10","author":"Diamond","year":"2009","journal-title":"Lancet Oncol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1007\/s10549-005-9117-4","article-title":"Metastatic breast cancer with liver metastases: A registry analysis of clinicopathologic, management and outcome characteristics of 500 women","volume":"97","author":"Pentheroudakis","year":"2005","journal-title":"Breast Cancer Res. Treat."},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"293","article-title":"Breast cancer liver metastases: Systematic review and time to event meta-analysis with comparison between available treatments","volume":"105","author":"Rangarajan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ind. Mark. Manag."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wang, R., Zhu, Y., Liu, X., Liao, X., He, J., and Niu, L. (2019). The Clinicopathological features and survival outcomes of patients with different metastatic sites in stage IV breast cancer. BMC Cancer, 19.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12885-019-6311-z"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bale, R., Putzer, D., and Schullian, P. (2019). Local Treatment of Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis. Cancers, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers11091341"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"861","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.2533081968","article-title":"Breast Cancer Liver Metastases: US-guided Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation\u2014Intermediate and Long-term Survival Rates","volume":"253","author":"Meloni","year":"2009","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1184","DOI":"10.1007\/s00270-021-02820-6","article-title":"Stereotactic Radiofrequency Ablation of Breast Cancer Liver Metastases: Short- and Long-Term Results with Predicting Factors for Survival","volume":"44","author":"Schullian","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cardiovasc. Interv. Radiol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"262","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jvir.2017.09.027","article-title":"Stereotactic Radiofrequency Ablation for Breast Cancer Liver Metastases","volume":"29","author":"Bale","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Vasc. Interv. Radiol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Seidensticker, M., Garlipp, B., Scholz, S., Mohnike, K., Popp, F., Steffen, I., Seidensticker, R., St\u00fcbs, P., Pech, M., and PowerskI, M. (2015). Locally ablative treatment of breast cancer liver metastases: Identification of factors influencing survival (the Mammary Cancer Microtherapy and Interventional Approaches (MAMMA MIA) study). BMC Cancer, 15.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12885-015-1499-z"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"789","DOI":"10.1111\/hpb.12133","article-title":"A comparison of laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation versus systemic therapy alone in the treatment of breast cancer metastasis to the liver","volume":"15","author":"Aksoy","year":"2013","journal-title":"HPB"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1097\/SLA.0000000000001371","article-title":"Hepatic Resection or Ablation for Isolated Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis","volume":"264","author":"Sadot","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ann. Surg."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clon.2015.01.032","article-title":"Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Liver Metastases","volume":"27","author":"Aitken","year":"2015","journal-title":"Clin. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5087","DOI":"10.21037\/tcr-20-1833","article-title":"Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for oligo-metastatic liver metastases from breast cancer, as an effective and safe alternative to surgery: A review","volume":"9","author":"Aoki","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transl. Cancer Res."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rivera, K., Jeyarajah, D.R., and Washington, K. (2021). Hepatectomy, RFA, and Other Liver Directed Therapies for Treatment of Breast Cancer Liver Metastasis: A Systematic Review. Front. Oncol., 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fonc.2021.643383"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Novak, J., Salgia, R., West, H., A Villalona-Calero, M., Sampath, S., Williams, T., Villaflor, V., Massarelli, E., Pathak, R., and Koczywas, M. (2022). Ablative Radiotherapy as a Strategy to Overcome TKI Resistance in EGFR-Mutated NSCLC. Cancers, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers14163983"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e6","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijrobp.2023.08.033","article-title":"Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SABR) for Oligoprogressive ER-Positive Breast Cancer (AVATAR): A Phase II Prospective Multicenter Trial","volume":"117","author":"David","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Radiat. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alomran, R., White, M., Bruce, M., Bressel, M., Roache, S., Karroum, L., Hanna, G.G., Siva, S., Goel, S., and David, S. (2021). Stereotactic radiotherapy for oligoprogressive ER-positive breast cancer (AVATAR). BMC Cancer, 21.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12885-021-08042-w"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"116","DOI":"10.1001\/jamaoncol.2019.4782","article-title":"The Effect of Abemaciclib Plus Fulvestrant on Overall Survival in Hormone Receptor\u2013Positive, ERBB2-Negative Breast Cancer That Progressed on Endocrine Therapy\u2014MONARCH 2: A Randomized Clinical Trial","volume":"6","author":"Sledge","year":"2020","journal-title":"JAMA Oncol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"942","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa2114663","article-title":"Overall Survival with Ribociclib plus Letrozole in Advanced Breast Cancer","volume":"386","author":"Hortobagyi","year":"2022","journal-title":"N. Engl. J. Med."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(23)01857-3","article-title":"Standard-of-care systemic therapy with or without stereotactic body radiotherapy in patients with oligoprogressive breast cancer or non-small-cell lung cancer (Consolidative Use of Radiotherapy to Block [CURB] oligoprogression): An open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 2 study","volume":"403","author":"Tsai","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1016\/j.radonc.2020.04.003","article-title":"Defining oligometastatic disease from a radiation oncology perspective: An ESTRO-ASTRO consensus document","volume":"148","author":"Lievens","year":"2020","journal-title":"Radiother. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e18","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(19)30718-1","article-title":"Characterisation and classification of oligometastatic disease: A European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer consensus recommendation","volume":"21","author":"Guckenberger","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet Oncol."},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"National Cancer Institute (2026, June 08). Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0, Available online: https:\/\/dctd.cancer.gov\/research\/ctep-trials\/for-sites\/adverse-events\/ctcae-v5-5x7.pdf."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"533","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.2021203715","article-title":"Consensus Guidelines for the Definition of Time-to-Event End Points in Image-guided Tumor Ablation: Results of the SIO and DATECAN Initiative","volume":"301","author":"Puijk","year":"2021","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"519","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(19)30863-0","article-title":"Pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and docetaxel for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (CLEOPATRA): End-of-study results from a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study","volume":"21","author":"Swain","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet Oncol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5053","DOI":"10.21037\/tcr-20-1598","article-title":"Surgical therapy for breast cancer liver metastases","volume":"9","author":"Terata","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transl. Cancer Res."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"183","DOI":"10.1080\/02656736.2018.1488279","article-title":"Long-term outcomes and prognostic analysis of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation in liver metastasis from breast cancer","volume":"35","author":"Bai","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Hyperth."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"689","DOI":"10.1016\/j.annonc.2024.06.013","article-title":"Overall survival in first-line HR+\/HER2- advanced breast cancer in the era of CDK4\/6 inhibitors","volume":"35","author":"Oliveira","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ann. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa1903765","article-title":"Overall Survival with Ribociclib plus Endocrine Therapy in Breast Cancer","volume":"381","author":"Im","year":"2019","journal-title":"N. Engl. J. Med."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104667","DOI":"10.1016\/j.breast.2025.104667","article-title":"Metastasis-directed thermal ablation in patients with metastatic breast cancer and visceral oligoprogression or oligopersistence: A cohort study","volume":"85","author":"Bianco","year":"2025","journal-title":"Breast"}],"container-title":["Cancers"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6694\/18\/12\/1997\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]],"date-time":"2026-06-19T09:32:03Z","timestamp":1781861523000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6694\/18\/12\/1997"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]]},"references-count":31,"journal-issue":{"issue":"12","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6]]}},"alternative-id":["cancers18121997"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/cancers18121997","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-6694"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-6694","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,19]]}}}