Recurrence incidence of small HCC in cirrhosis patients by ablation versus injection.
OBJECTIVE
The incidence of local recurrence of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (15 mm or less) was compared retrospectively between a group treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) using cool-tip (Radionics, USA) 10-mm electrodes and a group treated with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI).


METHODS
There were 23 patients who were treated for a total of 25 tumors during a 3-year period at our hospital. Ten of the tumors (11.1 +/- 2.7mm) were treated with RFA using cool-tip 10-mm electrodes and 15 tumors (10.6 +/- 2.7 mm) were treated with PEI. After treatment, progression was evaluated in enhanced CT scans every 3-6 months to confirm presence or absence of local recurrence.


RESULTS
The number of recurrences, mean observation period, and mean recurrence period in the RFA group were 2 (20%), 6.6 months, and 6 months. The number of recurrences, mean observation period, and mean recurrence period in the PEI group were 2 (13.3%), 19.1 months, and 18 months. The period between treatment and recurrence tended to be longer in the PEI group than in the RFA group to be significant p < 0.05.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that PEI treatment is more effective in local treatment of hypervascular HCC with tumor diameters of 15 mm or less.
Wakui
Noritaka
N
Division Of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, 6-11-1, Omorinishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan 143-8541. noriwakui@yahoo.co.jp
Iida
Kazunari
K
Ikehara
Takashi
T
Takayama
Ryuji
R
Shiozawa
Kazue
K
Takahashi
Masayoshi
M
Nagai
Hidenari
H
Watanabe
Manabu
M
Ishii
Koji
K
Igarashi
Yoshinori
Y
Sumino
Yasukiyo
Y
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000431:Ethanol