Fig. 1: iRFA promotes CRLM lung metastasis.

A Kaplan–Meier curves for time to new metastasis in CRLM patients (iRFA: n = 41; cRFA: n = 46; hepatic resection: n = 80). Log-rank test. B Study design of the iRFA-CT26^Luc/eGFP BALB/c and iRFA-MC38 C57BL/6 mouse models. C Bioluminescence imaging of BALB/C mice treated with sham operation (Ctrl), iRFA, or cRFA of the implanted CT26^Luc/eGFP tumors. Red and blue represent high and low fluorescence intensity, respectively. D Lung tissues from Ctrl and iRFA CT26^Luc/eGFP BALB/c mice 14 days post-treatment (n = 8 mice). E (Left) HE staining of dissected lung tissues. Scale bars, 1 mm and 100 μm. (Right) The proportion of lung metastasis (n = 8 mice). Unpaired two-sided t-test. F Kaplan–Meier curves of OS (Ctrl: n = 27 mice, iRFA: n = 18 mice, cRFA: n = 23 mice). Log-rank test. Ctrl vs. iRFA: P = 0.001, Ctrl vs. cRFA: P = 0.029, and iRFA vs. cRFA: P = 0.001. G Study design of iRFA-CT26^mCherry BALB/c mouse model (Triangles: sample collection time points). Representative microphotographs showed mCherry staining of lung tumors on days 0, 1, and 3 post-treatment (Arrows: mCherry⁺ tumor cells). Scale bars, 100 μm. H Lung tissues from CT26^{R-mCherry+L-GFP BALB/c} mice on days 3 and 5 post-treatment (Left-iRFA or Right-iRFA). GFP (green) and mCherry (red) detected via immunofluorescence (Arrows: GFP⁺ or mCherry⁺ tumor cells). Scale bars, 100 or 10 μm. I Liver and lung tissues from the iRFA-resection or non-resection mice 14 days post-iRFA (n = 3 mice). J (Left) HE staining of dissected lung tissues. Scale bars, 1 mm. (Right) The proportion of lung metastasis area (n = 9 mice). P < 0.001, ANOVA. K Lung tissues from RFA^Normal and iRFA^Tumor mice 14 days post-treatment. Lung weight shown on the right (Normal: n = 8 mice, Tumor: n = 7 mice), two-sided Mann-Whitney U test. L (Left) HE staining of lung tissues from the RFA^Normal and iRFA^Tumor mice. Scale bars, 1 mm and 250 μm. (Right) The proportion of lung metastasis area (Normal: n = 8 mice, Tumor: n = 7 mice). Unpaired two-sided t-test. Data are presented as mean values ± SD. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.