title: Long-term outcome of percutaneous ethanol injection therapy for minimum-sized hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Kobe Asahi Hospital, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Soo-Ryang
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imoto
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikawa
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mita
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fuki
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sasase
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol