title: Outcomes of ultrasound-guided percutaneous argon-helium cryoablation of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous argon-helium cryoablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and determine appropriate indications.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed outcomes of 300 HCC patients who underwent US-guided percutaneous cryoablation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 223 tumors (mean diameter 7.2 ± 2.8 cm) in 165 patients were incompletely ablated, while 185 tumors (mean diameter 5.6 ± 0.8 cm, P = 0.0001 vs. incomplete ablation) in 135 patients were completely ablated. Nineteen patients (6.3%) developed serious complications while in hospital, including cryoshock syndrome in six patients, hepatic bleeding in five, stress-induced gastric bleeding in four, liver abscess in one and intestinal fistulas in one. Two patients died because of liver failure. The median follow-up was 36.7 months (range 6-63 months). The local tumor recurrence rate was 31%, and was related to tumor size (P = 0.029) and tumor location (P = 0.037). The mean survival duration of patients with early, intermediate and advanced HCC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system) was 45.7 ± 3.8, 28.4 ± 1.2 and 17.7 ± 0.6 months, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  US-guided percutaneous cryoablation is a relatively safe and effective therapy for selected HCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Center of Therapeutic Research for Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Beijing 302nd Hospital, Beijing, 100039, China. yongpingyang@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Yongping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chunping
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yinying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Wenlin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Linjing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Jianhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Xudong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yongyi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Minna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiujuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jiyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lv
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001128:Argon / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006371:Helium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D006371:Helium; D001128:Argon