title: Clinical application of hepatic wedge ablation for treating liver malignancies of the inferior margin: a new ablation technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the efficacy and safety of percutaneous hepatic wedge ablation in treating hepatic malignancies of the inferior margin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven patients with hepatic malignancies at the inferior margin underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Thirty-two patients underwent hepatic wedge ablation and 45 patients underwent conventional tumour ablation. Comparative analysis of the two groups was performed including gender, age, tumour size, number of ablation cycles, ablation duration and injected hydrodissection volume. The rate of technical success, local tumour progression, intrahepatic distant recurrence, major complications and overall survival were assessed and compared. Survival analysis was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in the survival rates were compared with log-rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean number of ablation cycles and ablation duration were significantly higher in the hepatic wedge ablation group than conventional tumour ablation (1.6 ± 0.9 vs. 1.2 ± 0.4, p = .042, and 30.2 ± 18.5 vs. 22.5 ± 8.5 min, p = .031, respectively). The local tumour progression rate was significantly lower in hepatic wedge ablation group (0% vs. 17.78%, p = .038) at median follow-up of 21 months. The rate of technical success, intrahepatic distant recurrence, major complications and overall survival did not differ between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic wedge ablation appears to be a highly effective treatment for hepatic malignancies in the inferior margin and provides a better local control than conventional tumour ablation.
authors: a Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Ultrasound , Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute , Beijing , China.
authors: Kun
authors: K
authors: Yan
authors: a Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Ultrasound , Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute , Beijing , China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Yang
authors: a Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Ultrasound , Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute , Beijing , China.
authors: Min-Hua
authors: MH
authors: Chen
authors: a Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Ultrasound , Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute , Beijing , China.
authors: Zhong-Yi
authors: ZY
authors: Zhang
authors: a Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Ultrasound , Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute , Beijing , China.
authors: Jung-Chieh
authors: JC
authors: Lee
authors: b Department of Ultrasound , First Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , China.
authors: Hai-Xing
authors: HX
authors: Liao
authors: a Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Ultrasound , Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute , Beijing , China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Wu
authors: c Division of Image-Guided Therapy, Department of Radiology , Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center , Jerusalem , Israel.|d Laboratory for Minimally Invasive Tumor Therapies, Department of Radiology , Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.
authors: S Nahum
authors: SN
authors: Goldberg
keywords: Radiofrequency ablation; liver neoplasms; percutaneous; treatment outcome