title: Microwave ablation for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma that met up-to-seven criteria: feasibility, local efficacy and long-term outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, local efficacy and long-term outcomes of microwave (MW) ablation for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that met up-to-seven criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2007 and January 2012, 142 HCC patients with 294 nodules, which conformed to up-to-seven criteria, were enrolled into this retrospective study. All patients were followed up for more than 3 years after receiving MW ablation. Technical success, complications, local tumour progression (LTP) and distant recurrence (DR) were monitored. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS) and prognostic factors were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Primary technical efficacy was achieved in 95.2% (280/294) of the carcinomatous nodules, and major complications occurred in four (2.8%) patients. Among the 294 tumours, LTP was observed in 44 (15.0%) tumours. Among the 142 patients, DR was observed in 97 (68.3%) patients. The estimated OS rates after MW ablation at 1, 3 and 5 years were 97.2%, 75.4% and 50.6%, respectively; and the corresponding RFS rates were 76.1%, 33.1% and 19.5%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MW ablation is a safe and effective treatment with a high rate of primary technical efficacy for patients with HCC that met up-to-seven criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • The first study expanding MW ablation to HCC category beyond Milan criteria. • The first report that used up-to-seven criteria as indications for MW ablation. • HCC of up-to-seven criteria viewed as a subgroup of BCLC stage B. • MW ablation is safe and effective for treating HCC within up-to-seven criteria. • MW ablation is preferable in treating unresectable HCC within up-to-seven criteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of minimal invasion therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, 225 Changhai Rd, Shanghai, 200438, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of minimal invasion therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, 225 Changhai Rd, Shanghai, 200438, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of minimal invasion therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, 225 Changhai Rd, Shanghai, 200438, China.
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of minimal invasion therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, 225 Changhai Rd, Shanghai, 200438, China.
authors.forename: Zhongqi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of minimal invasion therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, 225 Changhai Rd, Shanghai, 200438, China.
authors.forename: Panpan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of minimal invasion therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, 225 Changhai Rd, Shanghai, 200438, China.
authors.forename: Zhenghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of minimal invasion therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, 225 Changhai Rd, Shanghai, 200438, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of radiology, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, 225 Changhai Rd, Shanghai, 200438, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of minimal invasion therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, 225 Changhai Rd, Shanghai, 200438, China. qianguojun1967@163.com.
authors.forename: Guojun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Microwave ablation; Prognostic factors; Therapeutic efficacy; Up-to-seven criteria