title: Clinical application of Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma with new shaped laser probe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Surgical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not always regarded as the first choice of treatment, because most HCCs develop in cirrhotic liver. It becomes adaptation of minimally invasive treatments for HCC. In animal experiments, we previously reported that our newly developed neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser system could ablate liver tissue in short periods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six HCC cases (mean diameter; 16.3 +/- 3.50 mm) were enrolled. The Nd:YAG laser generator with a wavelength of 1,064 nm at 10 W of power emitted the laser in a forward fashion and in all patients the laser beam safely irradiated the target lesion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no recurrence of HCC in the laser-ablated area in six patients for duration of 21.8+/- 4.35 months. A local recurrence was found in only one patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed the clinical usefulness of laser ablation in the treatment of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. ishito@jikei.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeniya
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujise
authors.forename: Astushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hokari
authors.forename: Gotaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Toda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male