title: Ultrasonic guided percutaneous ethanol injection with or without combined radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate whether radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) improves treatment outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively included 66 HCC patients who received RFA or RFA plus PEI from February 2011 to January 2014 in Jingmen No. 1 People's Hospital. Moreover, 31 cases received RFA plus PEI as the experiment group and 35 subjects treated with RFA aloe as the control group. The overall survival and treatment related complications were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For RFA group, the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rate were 82.0%, 69.3%, and 30.7%, respectively, with the median survival time of 27.1 months. For RFA plus PEI group, the 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rate were 97.1%, 73.9%, and 37.5%, respectively, with the median survival time of 33.6 months. The overall survival of the two groups was not statistical different with the hazard ratio of 1.48 (P > 0.05); three cases of treatment associated complications were found in RFA group with 1 abscess, 1 pleural effusion, and 1 portal vein thrombosis. Moreover, 2 cases of complication were recorded in RFA plus PEI group with 1 pleural effusion and 1 portal vein thrombosis. The complicated incidence rate was not statistical different between the two groups (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination treatment of HCC was safe and had a slightly higher primary effectiveness rate than RFA alone.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kai
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhi-Gang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound Imaging, Huangshi Central Hospital, Hubei Province 435000, PR, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D014465:Ultrasonics
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol