Long-term outcome of percutaneous ethanol injection therapy for minimum-sized hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate long-term follow-up of minimum-sized hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI).


METHODS
PEI was applied to 42 lesions in 31 patients (23 male and eight female) with HCC < 15 mm in diameter, over the past 15 years.


RESULTS
Overall survival rate was 74.1% at 3 years, 49.9% at 5 years, 27.2% at 7 years and 14.5% at 10 years. These results are superior to, or at least the same as those for hepatic resection and radiofrequency ablation. Survival was affected only by liver function, but not by sex, age, etiology of Hepatitis B virus or Hepatitis C virus, alpha-fetoprotein levels, arterial and portal blood flow, histological characteristics, and tumor multiplicity or size. Patients in Child-Pugh class A and B had 5-, 7- and 10-years survival rates of 76.0%, 42.2% and 15.8%, and 17.1%, 8.6% and 0%, respectively (P = 0.025).


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with PEI is best indicated for patients with HCC < 15 mm in Child-Pugh class A.
Taniguchi
Miyuki
M
Department of Gastroenterology, Kobe Asahi Hospital, Kobe, Japan.
Kim
Soo-Ryang
SR
Imoto
Susumu
S
Ikawa
Hirotsugu
H
Ando
Kenji
K
Mita
Keiji
K
Fuki
Shuichi
S
Sasase
Noriko
N
Matsuoka
Toshiyuki
T
Kudo
Masatoshi
M
Hayashi
Yoshitake
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000431:Ethanol