Percutaneous ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma with artificially induced pleural effusion and ascites

Background Ultrasound-guided procedures are sometimes of limited use because the tumor is located under the diaphragm or near the surface of the liver. We investigated the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with artificial pleural effusion and/or artificial ascites. Methods Between January 2002 and May 2006, 43 lesions in 36 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were treated by RFA with artificial pleural effusion and/or artificial ascites. Results Artificial pleural effusion allowed visualization of the whole tumor for 36 (83.7%) of the 43 lesions that were otherwise not detectable or poorly visible. Artificial ascites was also helpful in visualizing whole tumors that could not be visualized with only artificial pleural effusion. In all lesions, artificial pleural effusion and/or artificial ascites were helpful in performing percutaneous RFA. Artificial ascites was useful for creating a space between the liver's surface and the skin or diaphragm to avoid burns. Adverse effects after the induction of artificial pleural effusion included pneumonia in one patient and temporary atelectasis in another patient. Severe side effects were not observed. Complete necrosis after RFA was obtained in 43 (100%) of the 43 lesions. During a mean follow-up period of 31.8 ± 5.8 months, local recurrence at the ablation site was found in none of the 43 lesions. Conclusions Percutaneous RFA with artificial pleural effusion and/or artificial ascites was a safe and useful treatment that resulted in good local control of HCC.     

Percutaneous microwave and radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective comparative study

Background Percutaneous microwave ablation and radiofrequency ablation are two commonly used modalities for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma; however, comparisons of them have not been documented adequately. Methods Of 102 patients with biopsy-proved hepatocellular carcinoma, 49 (98 nodules) were treated percutaneously with microwave ablation and 53 (72 nodules) with radiofrequency ablation. The local tumor control, complications related to treatment, and long-term results of the two modalities were compared retrospectively. Results The complete ablation rates were 94.9% (93/98) using microwave ablation vs 93.1% (67/72) using radiofrequency ablation (P = 0.75), and no significant differences were found either in the ablation of tumors of 3.0 cm or less (P = 1.00) or in those of more than 3.0 cm (P = 1.00) between the two modalities. The local recurrence rates were 11.8% (11/93) using microwave ablation vs 20.9% (14/67) using radiofrequency ablation (P = 0.12), and there were no significant differences between the two modalities either in tumors of 3.0 cm or less (P = 0.36) or in those of more than 3.0 cm (P = 0.82). The rates of major complications associated with microwave ablation and radiofrequency ablation were 8.2% (4/49) vs 5.7% (3/53; P = 0.71). The disease-free survival rates in the microwave ablation group were 45.9%, 26.9%, 26.9%, and 13.4% at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years, respectively, and those in the radiofrequency ablation group were 37.2%, 20.7%, and 15.5% at 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively (P = 0.53). The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year cumulative survival rates for patients who underwent microwave ablation were 81.6%, 61.2%, 50.5%, and 36.8%, respectively, and for patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation the rates were 71.7%, 47.2%, 37.6%, and 24.2%, respectively (P = 0.12). Conclusions Percutaneous microwave ablation and radiofrequency ablation are both effective methods in treating hepatocellular carcinomas. The local tumor control, complications related to treatment, and long-term survivals were equivalent for the two modalities.     

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with cooled electrodes combined with hepatic arterial balloon occlusion in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background We have reported that percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with balloon occlusion of the hepatic artery (balloon-occluded RFA), using an expandable electrode, increases the coagulation area. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of balloon-occluded RFA and balloon-microcatheter-occluded RFA, using a cool RF single electrode.Methods We studies 41 patients with 47 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions. We treated 28 patients (32 nodules) with balloon-occluded RFA, 5 patients (6 nodules) with balloon-microcatheter-occluded RFA, and 8 patients (9 nodules) with standard RFA. Initial therapeutic efficacy was evaluated with dynamic computed tomography performed 1 week after one session of treatment.Results One session of treatment was done for 20 nodules (62.5%) in the balloon-occluded RFA group and for 4 nodules (66.7%) in the balloon-microcatheter-occluded RFA group. We compared the coagulation diameter for balloon-occluded RFA (7 nodules), balloon-microcatheter-occluded RFA (6 nodules), and standard RFA (9 nodules) after one application cycle (12min). The greatest dimension of the area coagulated by balloon-occluded RFA was significantly larger (greatest long-axis dimension, 47.6 ± 7.8mm; greatest short-axis dimension, 33.4 ± 7.5mm) than that coagulated by standard RFA (greatest long-axis dimension, 35.3 ± 4.7mm; greatest short-axis dimension, 25.9 ± 3.7mm; P = 0.002 for greatest long-axis dimension; P = 0.041 for greatest short-axis dimension). However, there was significant difference only in the greatest short-axis dimension of the area coagulated comparing balloon-microcatheter-occluded RFA and standard RFA.Conclusions We consider balloon-occluded RFA using a cool RF electrode to be superior to standard RFA for the treatment of HCC, especially when larger coagulation volumes are required.     

射频消融联合索拉非尼治疗进展期肝细胞癌的临床观察

原发性肝癌在全球发病率已超过62.6万/年,居于恶性肿瘤发病率的第5位;病死率也接近60万/年,位居肿瘤相关死亡的第3位[1]。我国发病人数约占全球的55%,其中85%～90%为肝细胞癌,     

高龄原发性肝癌射频治疗疗效分析

目的观察高龄原发性肝细胞癌(HCC)患者射频消融治疗(RFA)疗效及RFA对肝功能及生命质量的影响.方法超声引导RFA治疗的225例HCC患者为本文研究对象;非老年组(年龄≤60岁)109例;老年组(年龄＞60岁)116例中,年龄≥70岁者50例,52.6%(61人)合并其他疾病.治疗前两组病灶大小,肝功能分级均无显著差异.比较两组RFA疗效、生存期、生存率、生命质量变化及对肝功能的影响.结果两组消融成功率,局部肿瘤进展率均无明显差异.平均生存期非老年组为(43.31±3.16)个月,老年组为(41.07±2.50)个月,两组无统计学差异.老年组RFA治疗前后生命质量得分无显著差异;治疗后,老年组社会功能领域得分高于非老年组,两组生命质量总得分及其他领域得分均无显著差异.两组患者治疗前与治疗后1个月的谷丙转氨酶、谷草转氨酶、总胆红素水平均无明显差异.结论RFA对不适合手术治疗的高龄HCC患者,可获得良好疗效,并保持患者较高的生命质量;对高龄患者可作为首选治疗方法之一.     

Percutaneous ablation for small hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is increasingly detected at small size, usually 5 cm or smaller in diameter. For small hepatocellular carcinoma, percutaneous ablation is a potentially curative treatment. Ethanol injection is able to achieve a complete response of 70–80% and a 5-year survival of 40–60% in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma of 3 cm or less. Radiofrequency ablation has emerged as the more powerful alternative method. Randomized controlled trials show that radiofrequency ablation offers a higher complete response at fewer treatment sessions and better survival compared with ethanol injection. Microwave ablation has been demonstrated to be equivalent to radiofrequency ablation in both local efficacy and long-term outcome. Laser ablation is mainly applied in clinical settings in Europe. Nowadays, percutaneous ablation is commonly accepted as the best option for patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma who are not candidates for surgical resection or liver transplantation. However, whether it can compete with surgery as the first-line treatment has long been debated. There are some retrospective studies and only a few randomized controlled trials to compare the two modalities. The currently available data are not robust enough to draw a solid conclusion. This review article provides an overview of the current status of percutaneous ablation in management of small hepatocellular carcinoma and also focuses on comparison with surgical resection.     

Utility of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid in radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background and Aims: Kupffer imaging in contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) with Sonazoid, which lasts for 60 min or longer, may be useful in ultrasound‐guided percutaneous tumor ablation. The utility of Sonazoid in radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was investigated in this study. Methods: We analyzed a total of 716 HCC nodules that were detected on dynamic computed tomography in 316 patients. Detectability of these nodules was compared between CEUS and conventional ultrasonography. The effectiveness in the treatment was assessed by comparing the mean numbers of treatment sessions of RFA in patients treated with CEUS and that in historical controls matched for tumor and background conditions. Results: Detectability of tumor nodule was 83.5% in conventional ultrasonography and 93.2% in CEUS (P = 0.04). Sixty‐nine nodules in 52 patients were additionally detected with CEUS. The number of additionally detected tumor nodules was positively correlated with serum albumin level (P = 0.016). The number of RFA sessions was 1.33 ± 0.45 with CEUS as compared to 1.49 ± 0.76 in the historical controls (P = 0.0019). Conclusions: CEUS with Sonazoid is useful for HCC detection in patients with a well‐conserved liver function reservoir. The decrease in RFA session numbers indicated the utility of Sonazoid in RFA treatment of HCC.     

Recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma successfully treated with radiofrequency thermal ablation

We report a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who was successfully treated with radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA). A 71-year-old man was admitted to our hospital in August 1996 with recurrence of HCC. Partial hepatic resection had been performed in January 1993 for HCC that had measured 1.3 cm in segment VIII, and subsequently he had received six sessions of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) for treatment of recurrence. Dynamic computed tomography (CT) performed in August 1996 showed two recurrent tumors, one measuring 3.8 cm in segment VIII adjacent to the right hepatic vein, and one measuring 2.0 cm in segment V. Three sessions of percutaneous RFA were performed. After this treatment, most of the tumor in segment VIII and all the tumor in segment V showed low density on dynamic CT, and the right hepatic vein was preserved. However, a remnant of the mass appeared near the right hepatic vein 2 months after the treatment. An additional two sessions of RFA were performed. After the end of treatment, serum alpha-fetoprotein level dropped to the normal range, and no sign of recurrence has been observed until September 1998.     

Laparoscopic repair of iatrogenic diaphragmatic hernia following radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is commonly used for treating unresectable hepatic malignancies. Some commonly associated complications of RFA include fever, symptomatic pleural effusion, abscess, hepatoma and hepatic insufficiency. Here, we report a case of diaphragmatic hernia in a patient following RFA for hepatic malignancy with cirrhosis.     

Intraoperative radiofrequency ablation with or without tumorectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma in locations difficult for a percutaneous approach

BACKGROUND:Although hepatic resection is widely accepted as a proper modality for treating hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),a majority of patients are unable to undergo surgical resection due to various tumor and patient factors.Radiofrequency ablation(RFA)has mostly been used as a therapeutic alternative to resection for treating HCC.The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of intraoperative RFA for HCCs in locations difficult for a percutaneous approach.METHODS:Eight patients(male,seven;age,49...     

Clinical features and risk factors of extrahepatic seeding after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma

Aim: To clarify the clinical features of and risk factors for extrahepatic seeding, a major complication following radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Our prospective database of 351 nodules in 257 patients with HCC who had undergone RFA between April 2001 and April 2008 was reviewed. The following variables were assessed to identify the risk factors for extrahepatic seeding: age, sex, viral markers, Child–Pugh class, tumor size, number of tumors, RFA indication (tumor size ≤3 cm, number of tumors ≤3), tumor biopsy prior to RFA, degree of histological differentiation, tumor markers, tumor location, number of sessions, and combined transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. Results: The median follow‐up period was 36.5 months, during which the rate of seeding after was 5.1% and the 5‐year cumulative seeding rate was 8.4%. The survival rate after neoplastic seeding was 21% at 5 years. Univariate analysis of the risk factors for neoplastic seeding showed significant differences in tumor size, RFA indication, subcapsular lesion, number of sessions, tumor biopsy prior to RFA, and des‐gamma‐carboxy prothrombin value. However, multivariate analysis showed that the only independent risk factor was RFA indication. Conclusions: The prognosis of patients with neoplastic seeding was poor. In particular, RFA performed for HCC not satisfying the RFA indication showed a high risk of seeding, and careful consideration should be given to the optimal treatment method and avoiding direct puncture of subcapsular tumors.     

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular adenoma: Initial experience in 10 patients

Background and Aim:  The purpose of this study was to assess the therapeutic efficacy and safety of percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation for hepatocellular adenoma.
Methods:  We performed percutaneous RF ablation in 10 patients with pathologically proven hepatocellular adenomas. Eight patients were asymptomatic and two patients had a recurrent tumor after surgical resection. The size of the tumors was 2.25 ± 0.76 cm (range: 1.5–4.5 cm) in the largest diameter. All ablation procedures were percutaneously performed with an internally cooled RF electrode system under ultrasound (US) guidance. We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and safety of the procedure by clinical follow-up data with regular follow-up computed tomography (CT) for 2–35 months (mean, 17.5 months).
Results:  All patients well tolerated percutaneous RF ablation procedure without any incident. Contrast-enhanced CT ( n  = 7) or contrast-enhanced US ( n  = 3) obtained immediately (<24 h) after the procedure revealed complete ablation of the tumor in all cases. There was no case of local tumor progression or new recurrence during the follow-up period. We found neither procedure-related mortality nor major complication requiring specific treatment.
Conclusion:  Percutaneous RF ablation of hepatocellular adenoma without overt complication can be a new potential alternative to close imaging follow-up or elective surgery.