Efficacy and feasibility of radiofrequency ablation for decompensated cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Most HCC patients with decompensation of liver function lost the chance of surgical and/or interventional treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate feasibility and outcome of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with poor liver function (Child-Pugh class C), who are not suitable for surgery or hepatic artery chemo-embolization.


METHODS
Thirteen HCC patients (the number of tumors was 17) with liver function of Child-Pugh C (scores: 10.2 +/- 0.4) were included in the study. Among the patients, 8 were male and 5 were female with the average age of (61.6 +/- 10.9) years old. The average size of HCC was (3.8 +/- 1.0) cm. Two patients were recurrent HCC and 30.8% of the patients had multiple tumors (2 - 3 tumors). All the patients were treated with RFA.


RESULTS
There were 22 RFA sessions (1 - 4 sessions per patient) in all, average ablations per tumor at first session was 3.1. One week after RFA, the liver enzymes elevated in 9 patients (69.2%), in 7 of them, the liver enzyme returned to pre-RFA level in 1 - 3 months. One month after RFA, the Child-Pugh grading was 10.3 +/- 0.8 (Child-Pugh C), while that of pre-RFA was 10.2 +/- 0.4 (Child-Pugh C), with no significant difference. Computer tomography (CT) one month after RFA showed that the tumor necrosis rate was 88.2% (15/17). Five patients had 2 - 4 repeated RFA due to HCC recurrence. During the follow-up of 2- 69 months in this group, survival rate of one year was 53.8%, two years was 30.8%, and three year was 15.4%. The incidence of RFA-related complications was 13.6% (3/22 sessions), including 1 case of GI hemorrhage and 1 sub-capsular hemorrhage of the liver. One patient with HCC over 5 cm who had fever and liver abscess after RFA, and was dead 2 months later due to liver function failure.


CONCLUSIONS
Minimal invasive RFA provides possible treatment modality for HCC patients with poor liver function, who are not candidates for surgical and/or interventional therapy. For large HCC, due to the required extended treatment region, special attention should be paid to the possibility of acute liver failure.
Wu
Jin-yu
JY
Ultrasound Department, Harbin First Hospital, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150010, China.
Yang
Wei
W
Cui
Ming
M
Yin
Shan-shan
SS
Gao
Wen
W
Wu
Wei
W
Yan
Kun
K
Chen
Min-hua
MH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome