title: Radiofrequency ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in elderly patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With the aging of society, the number of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been increasing in Japan. The Government of Japan defines elderly as being over 65 and has divided the elderly into two stages: the first elderly stage (< 75 years old) and the second elderly stage (> or = 75). We investigated the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation therapy (RFA) in patients in the second elderly stage in comparison with other HCC patients, retrospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred six patients with HCC, who were within the Milan criteria, with low-grade performance status (0 or 1) and a Child-Pugh classification of A or B were enrolled. All were treated with RFA from January 2000 to December 2008 as an initial therapy and were divided into elderly HCC group (e-HCC group; > or = 75, n = 63) and non e-HCC group (< 75, n = 143), and their clinical data and survival rates were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age and the level of protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist (PIVKA-II) were higher in the e-HCC group as compared with the non e-HCC group (78.3 +/- 3.2 vs 64.2 +/- 7.5 years, 676.3 +/- 2643.7 vs 142.4 +/- 442.2 mAU/mL: P < 0.01, respectively). There were no significant differences for Child-Pugh class, tumor node metastasis stage, and Japan Integrated Stage score and in survival rates after 3, and 5 years between the groups (e-HCC group: 82.5% and 49.7%, respectively; non e-HCC group: 78.3% and 57.5%, respectively). There were no severe complications in the e-HCC group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elderly HCC patients, who have good performance status, should be treated in the same manner and with the same strategy as young HCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan. hirage@m.ehime-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Michitaka
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Horiike
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hidaka
authors.forename: Takahide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: Soichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasebe
authors.forename: Yasunao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sogabe
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishimaru
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirooka
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiasa
authors.forename: Bunzo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Morikazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onji
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018579:Patient Selection; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood; D011516:Prothrombin; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011498:Protein Precursors; C008208:acarboxyprothrombin; D011516:Prothrombin