title: Laparoscopic ethanol injection therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Ethanol injection into HCC tumors is an effective therapy and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) is performed on many HCC patients. However, there are cases in which PEIT becomes difficult because the HCC could not be detected by ultrasonography or the tumor is located in an area where it is impossible to perform PEIT. Nine patients with HCC underwent laparoscopic ethanol injection therapy (LEIT) in our institution. Their tumors were located on the liver surface and could be visualized by laparoscopic examination. Ethanol injection was performed under laparoscopic direct visualization. The total injected ethanol volume required ranged from 4 to 15 ml and in most cases both tumor size and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels decreased after LEIT. Three cases showed a transient complication of abdominal pain or/and portal vein damage. Other severe complications were not observed. All cases required additional therapies, including transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TAE) or PEIT to complete the tumor necrosis. In conclusion, LEIT is a safe and effective therapy for HCC located on the liver surface, but should be combined with other therapies to facilitate its effect against HCC.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiraki
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Takenari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.forename: Kazushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohmori
authors.forename: Kazumoto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D011379:Prognosis; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D000431:Ethanol