Percutaneous and surgical radiofrequency ablation of liver malignancies: a single institutional experience.
BACKGROUND
the purpose of this study was to report a single academic institution's experience with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver malignancies


METHODS
Sixty-five patients underwent RFA technique through a percutaneous (Group I: 33 patients) or a surgical approach (Group II: 32 patients). The two groups were different according to type of disease selection (more hepatocellular carcinoma in Group I and liver metastases in Group II) and tumour features (smaller size but greater number of lesions in Group II). In Group II, RFA was associated to liver resection in 23 patients (72%).


RESULTS
The 2-month postoperative mortality and complication rates were low in both groups. The postoperative hospital stay was longer in Group II. During a median follow-up of 24 months in Group I and 21 months in Group II, the local "in-situ" recurrence rate was 41.4% and 9.1%, respectively. For RFA-treated tumours < 30 mm in size, the local "in-situ" recurrence rate was 40.5% in Group I and 0% in Group II. Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that larger tumour and a percutaneous approach for RFA were independent predictive factors of local "in-situ" liver tumour recurrence.


CONCLUSIONS
RFA appears to be a safe technique for treating liver malignancies by both approaches. Tumour size and type of RFA approach are predictive factors of in-situ liver tumour recurrence.
Hubert
Catherine
C
Division of Hepato-Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, Saint Luc University Hospital, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Brussels, Belgium.
Gras
Jérémie
J
Goffette
Pierre
P
Grajeda
Juan Marcos
JM
Van Beers
Bernard E
BE
Laurence
Annet
A
Horsmans
Yves
Y
Sempoux
Christine
C
Rahier
Jacques
J
Zech
Francis
F
Gigot
Jean-François
JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome