title: [Efficacy of percutaneous ethanol injection therapy in Korean with hepatocellular carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) is widely used for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its long-term therapeutic efficacy is not verified in Korea, one of hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemic areas. Thus, this study was to assess its efficacy and prognostic factors affecting tumor-free survival following PEIT in Korean HCC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1997 to 1999, 100 consecutive patients who had 1 to 3 HCC nodules of maximum diameter less than 3 cm and underwent PEIT were enrolled. Therapeutic efficacy, overall and tumor-free survival rates were assessed during follow-up periods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 83 patients, HCC nodules were completely ablated by PEIT. The cumulative 1, 2, and 3 year overall survival rates were 98%, 96%, and 88%, respectively. The cumulative 1, 2, and 3 year tumor-free survival rates were 73%, 50%, and 37%, respectively. Larger tumors (>or= 2 cm) were associated with a higher local recurrence rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that PEIT is therapeutically useful in patients with HCC less than 4 in number and less than 3 cm in diameter. However, since multiple or large tumors are associated with low tumor-free survival or high local recurrence rates, PEIT for these tumors and the subsequent post-treatment follow-up should be performed carefully.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyoun Woo
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Yoon Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kang Mo
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung Mook
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Su Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Won Jae
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Jung-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Yong Bum
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Hyo-Suk
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D007723:Korea; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol