title: Irreversible electroporation for nonthermal tumor ablation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: initial clinical experience in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This clinical study was conducted to evaluate the safety and short-term outcomes of irreversible electroporation (IRE) for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was designed in a prospective setting. Five patients (3 men and 2 women; mean age, 66.6 ± 5.8 years) with 6 HCCs were enrolled and treated using percutaneous ultrasound (US)-guided IRE. Safety was assessed based on adverse events and laboratory values. Local control was assessed using contrast-enhanced US with a perflubutane microbubble contrast agent, contrast-enhanced multiphase CT, and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI (EOB-MRI) at designated points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tumors ranged in diameter from 11 to 28 mm (mean diameter, 17.5 ± 6.3 mm). Five of the 6 tumors (83 %) were successfully treated, with no local recurrence to date (mean follow-up 244 ± 55 days). In 1 lesion located in liver segment 1, residual tumor was diagnosed at 7 days after intervention by follow-up EOB-MRI. No serious complications related to the IRE procedure were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that image-guided percutaneous IRE can achieve satisfactory local disease control, particularly for small HCCs, and is well tolerated by patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan, sugimoto@tokyo-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Katsutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Fuminori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moriyasu
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Hirohito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Takatomo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: Toshifumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furuichi
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D055011:Ablation Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D018274:Electroporation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography