title: Percutaneous ultrasound-guided thermal ablation for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the treatment efficacy and overall survival (OS) of percutaneous ultrasound-guided thermal ablation by means of microwave ablation or radiofrequency ablation for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).
  
  
  METHODS
  18 patients with 25 ICC nodules underwent ultrasound-guided thermal ablation with curative intention. 8 patients were primary cases and 10 were recurrent cases after curative resection. The local treatment response, complications and survivals were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete ablation was achieved in 23 (92.0%, 23/25) nodules (diameter, 0.7-4.3 cm; mean, 2.5 ± 0.9 cm) and incomplete ablation was found in 2 (8.0%, 2/25) larger tumours (6.4 and 6.9 cm in diameter). No death associated with the treatment was found. The major complication rate was 5.5% (1/18). The follow-up periods ranged from 1.3 to 86.2 months (mean, 20.5 ± 26.3 months; median, 8.7 months). OS rates for all patients at 6, 12, 36 and 60 months were 66.7%, 36.3%, 30.3% and 30.3%, respectively. By univariate analysis, the patient source (primary or recurrent case) was found to be a significant prognostic factor for OS rates (p=0.001). The patient source (p=0.001) and the number of nodules (p=0.038) were found to be significant prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival. OS rates for the primary ICC at 6, 12, 36 and 60 months were 87.5%, 75.0%, 62.5% and 62.5%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous ultrasound-guided thermal ablation is a safe and effective therapeutic technique for ICC. Acceptable survival can be achieved in primary ICCs, whereas the prognosis of recurrent ICCs is relatively poor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China. xuhuixiong@hotmail.com
authors.forename: H-X
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M-D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: L-N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods