Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy of hepatoma

Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) under ultrasound guidance is a new therapeutic possibility for patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In our series, 35 patients with a total of 50 tumors were treated (tumor size 0.8–5.0 cm). No significant complications occurred after 502 sessions of ethanol injection. Thirty patients presented complete remission, as no evidence of residual HCC was revealed during the follow-up (mean 16 months). Five patients with lesions larger than 3.5 cm presented only partial remission. The survival curves at 1, 2, and 3 years (Kaplan Meier method) were 100%, 100%, and 80%, respectively. In comparison with the survival curves of untreated and surgically treated patients. PEI seems to be the better treatment for operable HCC smaller than 3 cm, and for lesions smaller than 5 cm in patients with high surgical risk.