title: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation in elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The number of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has increased in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 280 patients with HCC treated with endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) were enrolled in the present study. The patients were divided into two groups, an elderly group (≥ 70 years) and a non-elderly group (<70 years) and their clinical and survival data were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cumulative overall survival rates in the elderly and non-elderly groups were equivalent: 73% and 70% at three years and 57% and 52% at five years, respectively (p=0.900). The disease-free survival rates were 21% and 23% at three years and 17% and 14% at five years, respectively (p=0.628). No significant effects were observed between the two groups due to any of the covariates in the survival analysis (all p-values for interaction ≥ 0.19). The complication rates were also comparable: 5.1% in the elderly group and 8.6% in the non-elderly group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ERFA is safe and provides excellent therapeutic effects in elderly as well as non-elderly patients with HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan Department of Multidisciplinary Treatment for Gastroenterological Cancer, Kumamoto University Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beppu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Takatoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishiko
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chikamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nitta
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuramoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Miyazaki Prefectural Nobeoka Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Miyazaki Prefectural Nobeoka Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Miyazaki Prefectural Nobeoka Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsufumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takamori
authors.affiliation: Medical Quality Management Center, Graduate School of Social and Cultural Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan hdobaba@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation; elderly patients; hepatocellular carcinoma