title: [Cryosurgery for primary hepatic cancer of 87 patients].
abstract: From november 1973 to June 1991, cryosurgery with liquid nitrogen was performed on 87 patients with primary liver cancer (PLC). Of these, 27 patients was of stage I (31.0%), 52 in stage II (59.8%), and 8 stage III (9.2%). There were 30 patients with PLC of < or = 5 cm (34.5%). Liver cirrhosis was found in 73 patients (83.9%). In the beginning, plate-like cryoprobes and thermocouples were used to monitor the frozen area. Later on we designed single- and multiple-needle cryoprobes for freezing tumors deeply into the hepatic parenchyma and intraoperative ultrasound was used to monitor hepatic cryolesions. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates were 60.5%, 32.0%, and 20.2%, respectively. Among the 30 patients with PLC of < or = 5 cm, the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates were 92.6%, 66.6%, and 50.8%, respectively. There were no operative mortality and complications such as rupture of the tumor, delayed bleeding, and bile leakage. These results indicate that cryosurgery is a safe and effective local treatment for unresectable PLC.
authors.affiliation: Liver Cancer Institute, Shanghai Medical University.
authors.forename: X D
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009584:Nitrogen; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen