Long-term results of percutaneous ethanol injection for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the long-term follow-up results of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Korea.


METHODS
Sixty-eight nodular HCCs initially detected in 64 patients, were subjected to US-guided PEI as a first-line treatment. Long-term survival rates, local tumor progression rates, and complications were evaluated, as were the influences of tumor size and Child-Pugh class on these variables.


RESULTS
No major complications occurred. The overall survival rates of the 64 patients at three and five years were 71% and 39%, and their cancer-free survival rates were 22% and 15%, respectively. The overall survival rate of patients with a small HCC (< or =2 cm) was significantly higher (p = 0.014) than that of patients with a medium-sized HCC (< or =2 cm). The overall survival rate of patients with Child-Pugh class A was significantly higher (p = 0.049) than that of patients with Child-Pugh class B. Of 59 cases with no residual tumor, local tumor progression was observed in ablation zones in 18, and this was not found to be significantly influenced by tumor size or Child-Pugh class.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our investigation of the long-term survival rates of PEI in HCC patients in Korea (a hepatitis B virus-endemic area) were consistent with those reported previously in hepatitis C endemic areas. Patients with a smaller tumor or a better liver function exhibited superior survival rates.
Sung
Yon Mi
YM
Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Choi
Dongil
D
Lim
Hyo K
HK
Lee
Won Jae
WJ
Kim
Seung Hoon
SH
Kim
Min Ju
MJ
Paik
Seung Woon
SW
Yoo
Byung Chul
BC
Koh
Kwang Cheol
KC
Lee
Joon Hyoek
JH
Choi
Moon Seok
MS
D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000431:Ethanol