title: Presence of esophageal varices is a risk factor for non-hemorrhagic death of hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with radiofrequency ablation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The presence of esophageal varices (EVs) is believed to be a factor that affects the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We examined whether the presence and severity of EVs affected either survival prognosis or the cause of death in HCC patients treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 89 HCC patients treated with RFA who were endoscopically evaluated for EVs before treatment. To determine factors associated with survival, we performed univariate and multivariate analyses of variables including demographics, tumor stage, Child-Pugh class and status of EVs. Furthermore, we investigated the association between the presence of EVs and causes of death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multivariate analyses showed both Child-Pugh class B (odds ratio: 2.654; p = 0.017) and EVs (odds ratio: 3.18; p = 0.004) to be independent factors of poor prognosis. Of 34 patients who died during the period of observation, one died because of an EV rupture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The existence of EVs may affect survival prognosis of HCC patients treated with RFA independently of Child-Pugh status, but is not associated with hemorrhagic death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ario
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizuta
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oza
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwane
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasutake
authors.forename: Iwata
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate