Efficacy and safety of percutaneous transhepatic biliary radiofrequency ablation in patients with malignant obstructive jaundice

BACKGROUND Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage(PTCD)and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography/endoscopic nasobiliary drainage are the most common clinical procedures for jaundice control in patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice,yet the safety and effect of endobiliary radiofrequency ablation(EB-RFA)combined PTCD is rarely reported,in this article,we report our experience of EB-RFA combined PTCD in such patients.AIM To retrospectively study the efficacy and safety of EB-RFA combined PTCD in patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice.METHODS Patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice treated with EB-RFA under PTCD were selected,the bile ducts of the right posterior lobe was selected as the target bile ducts in all cases.The general conditions of all patients,preoperative tumour markers,total bilirubin(TBIL),direct bilirubin(DBIL),albumin(ALB),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),and glutamyl transferase(GGT)before and on the 7th day after the procedure,as well as perioperative complications,stent patency time and patient survival were recorded.RESULTS All patients successfully completed the operation,TBIL and DBIL decreased significantly in all patients at the 7th postoperative day(P=0.009 and 0.006,respectively);the values of ALB,ALP and GGT also decreased compared with the preoperative period,but the difference was not statistically significant.Perioperative biliary bleeding occurred in 2 patients,which was improved after transfusion of blood and other conservative treatments,pancreatitis appeared in 1 patient after the operation,no serious complication and death happened after operation.Except for 3 patients with loss of visits,the stent patency rate of the remaining 14 patients was 100%71%and 29%at the 1^(st),3^(rd),and 6^(th)postoperative months respectively,with a median survival of 4 months.CONCLUSION EB-RFA under PTCD in patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice has a satisfactory therapeutic effect and high safety,which is worthy of further clinical practice.

Nomogram predicting the prognosis of primary liver cancer after radiofrequency ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization

BACKGROUND The incidence and mortality rates of primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)are high,and the conventional treatment is radiofrequency ablation(RFA)with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE);however,the 3-year survival rate is still low.Further,there are no visual methods to effectively predict their prognosis.AIM To explore the factors influencing the prognosis of HCC after RFA and TACE and develop a nomogram prediction model.METHODS Clinical and follow-up information of 150 patients with HCC treated using RFA and TACE in the Hangzhou Linping Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from May 2020 to December 2022 was retrospectively collected and recorded.We examined their prognostic factors using multivariate logistic regression and created a nomogram prognosis prediction model using the R software(version 4.1.2).Internal verification was performed using the bootstrapping technique.The prognostic efficacy of the nomogram prediction model was evaluated using the concordance index(CI),calibration curve,and receiver operating characteristic RESULTS Of the 150 patients treated with RFA and TACE,92(61.33%)developed recurrence and metastasis.Logistic regression analysis identified six variables,and a predictive model was created.The internal validation results of the model showed a CI of 0.882.The correction curve trend of the prognosis prediction model was always near the diagonal,and the mean absolute error before and after internal validation was 0.021.The area under the curve of the prediction model after internal verification was 0.882[95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.820-0.945],with a specificity of 0.828 and sensitivity of 0.656.According to the Hosmer-Lemeshow test,χ^(2)=3.552 and P=0.895.The predictive model demonstrated a satisfactory calibration,and the decision curve analysis demonstrated its clinical applicability.CONCLUSION The prognosis of patients with HCC after RFA and TACE is affected by several factors.The developed prediction model based on the influencing parameters shows a good prognosis predictive efficacy.

Radiofrequency ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for recurrent liver cancer

BACKGROUND The recurrence rate of liver cancer after surgery is high.Radiofrequency ablation(RFA)combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)is an effective treatment for liver cancer;however,its efficacy in recurrent liver cancer remains unclear.AIM To investigate the clinical effect of TACE combined with RFA in the treatment of recurrent liver cancer.METHODS Ninety patients with recurrent liver cancer were divided into 2 groups according to treatment plan:Control(RFA alone);and experimental[TACE combined with RFA(TACE+RFA)].The incidence of increased alanine aminotransferase levels,complications,and other indices were compared between the two groups before and after the procedures.RESULTS One month after the procedures,the short-term efficacy rate and Karnofsky Performance Status scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).Alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)and total bilirubin levels were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05);The overall response rate was 82.22%and 66.67%in the experimental and control groups,respectively;The disease control rate was 93.33%and 82.22%in the experimental and control groups,respectively,the differences are statistically significant(P<0.05).And there were no statistical differences in complications between the two groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION TACE+RFA was effective for the treatment of recurrent liver cancer and significantly reduced AFP levels and improved various indices of liver function.

Efficacy of radiofrequency ablation combined with sorafenib for treating liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension and prognostic factors

BACKGROUND Patients with liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension present complex challenges in treatment.AIM To evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation in combination with sorafenib for improving liver function and its impact on the prognosis of patients with this condition.METHODS Data from 100 patients with liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension from May 2014 to March 2019 were analyzed and divided into a study group(n=50)and a control group(n=50)according to the treatment regimen.The research group received radiofrequency ablation(RFA)in combination with sorafenib,and the control group only received RFA.The short-term efficacy of both the research and control groups was observed.Liver function and portal hypertension were compared before and after treatment.Alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),glypican-3(GPC-3),and AFP-L3 levels were compared between the two groups prior to and after treatment.The occurrence of adverse reactions in both groups was observed.The 3-year survival rate was compared between the two groups.Basic data were compared between the survival and non-surviving groups.To identify the independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension,multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed.RESULTS When comparing the two groups,the research group's total effective rate(82.00%)was significantly greater than that of the control group(56.00%;P<0.05).Following treatment,alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels increased,and portal vein pressure decreased in both groups.The degree of improvement for every index was substantially greater in the research group than in the control group(P<0.05).Following treatment,the AFP,GPC-3,and AFP-L3 levels in both groups decreased,with the research group having significantly lower levels than the control group(P<0.05).The incidence of diarrhea,rash,nausea and vomiting,and fatigue in the research group was significantly greater than that in the control group(P<0.05).The 1-,2-,and 3-year survival rates of the research group(94.00%,84.00%,and 72.00%,respectively)were significantly greater than those of the control group(80.00%,64.00%,and 40.00%,respectively;P<0.05).Significant differences were observed between the survival group and the non-surviving group in terms of Child-Pugh grade,history of hepatitis,number of tumors,tumor size,use of sorafenib,stage of liver cancer,histological differentiation,history of splenectomy and other basic data(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that high Child-Pugh grade,tumor size(6–10 cm),history of hepatitis,no use of sorafenib,liver cancer stage IIIC,and previous splenectomy were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Patients suffering from liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension benefit from the combination of RFA and sorafenib therapy because it effectively restores liver function and increases survival rates.The prognosis of patients suffering from liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension is strongly associated with factors such as high Child-Pugh grade,tumor size(6-10 cm),history of hepatitis,lack of sorafenib use,liver cancer at stage IIIC,and prior splenectomy.

Retrospective Analysis of Radiofrequency Ablation in Patients with Small Solitary Hepatocellular Carcinoma:Survival Outcomes and Development of a Machine Learning Prognostic Model

Background and Objective The effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation(RFA)in improving long-term survival outcomes for patients with a solitary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)measuring 5 cm or less remains uncertain.This study was designed to elucidate the impact of RFA therapy on the survival outcomes of these patients and to construct a prognostic model for patients following RFA.Methods This study was performed using the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results(SEER)database from 2004 to 2017,focusing on patients diagnosed with a solitary HCC lesion≤5 cm in size.We compared the overall survival(OS)and cancer-specific survival(CSS)rates of these patients with those of patients who received hepatectomy,radiotherapy,or chemotherapy or who were part of a blank control group.To enhance the reliability of our findings,we employed stabilized inverse probability treatment weighting(sIPTW)and stratified analyses.Additionally,we conducted a Cox regression analysis to identify prognostic factors.XGBoost models were developed to predict 1-,3-,and 5-year CSS.The XGBoost models were evaluated via receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,calibration plots,decision curve analysis(DCA)curves and so on.Results Regardless of whether the data were unadjusted or adjusted for the use of sIPTWs,the 5-year OS(46.7%)and CSS(58.9%)rates were greater in the RFA group than in the radiotherapy(27.1%/35.8%),chemotherapy(32.9%/43.7%),and blank control(18.6%/30.7%)groups,but these rates were lower than those in the hepatectomy group(69.4%/78.9%).Stratified analysis based on age and cirrhosis status revealed that RFA and hepatectomy yielded similar OS and CSS outcomes for patients with cirrhosis aged over 65 years.Age,race,marital status,grade,cirrhosis status,tumor size,and AFP level were selected to construct the XGBoost models based on the training cohort.The areas under the curve(AUCs)for 1,3,and 5 years in the validation cohort were 0.88,0.81,and 0.79,respectively.Calibration plots further demonstrated the consistency between the predicted and actual values in both the training and validation cohorts.Conclusion RFA can improve the survival of patients diagnosed with a solitary HCC lesion≤5 cm.In certain clinical scenarios,RFA achieves survival outcomes comparable to those of hepatectomy.The XGBoost models developed in this study performed admirably in predicting the CSS of patients with solitary HCC tumors smaller than 5 cm following RFA.

Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography:An effective option for endo-biliary radiofrequency ablation before stent insertion in unresectable biliary cancer?

Biliary cancer is a highly aggressive disease that is typically diagnosed at advanced stages when surgical removal is no longer an option.In these cases,palliative care and mechanical widening of the blocked biliary system are preferred.The insertion of a stent is often necessary to prevent the recurrence of blockages caused by cancer progression.Prior to stent placement,endo-biliary radiofrequency ablation(EB-RFA)appears to result in longer-lasting stent effectiveness without increasing the risk of severe complications.However,its impact on overall survival is not yet clear.Additionally,while endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is the most common method for performing EB-RFA,percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage seems to be a safe and potentially more efficient alternative,particularly for long,angulated,or significantly narrowed bile ducts.

Severe hypoxemia after radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation in palliatively repaired tetralogy of Fallot: A case report

BACKGROUND Patients with tetralogy of Fallot(TOF)often have arrhythmias,commonly being atrial fibrillation(AF).Radiofrequency ablation is an effective treatment for AF and does not usually cause severe postoperative hypoxemia,but the risk of complications may increase in patients with conditions such as TOF.CASE SUMMARY We report a young male patient with a history of TOF repair who developed severe hypoxemia after radiofrequency ablation for AF and was ultimately confirmed to have a new right-to-left shunt.The patient subsequently underwent atrial septal occlusion and eventually recovered.CONCLUSION Radiofrequency ablation may cause iatrogenic atrial septal injury;thus possible complications should be predicted in order to ensure successful treatment and patient safety.

Analysis of alkaline phosphatase and γ-glutamyltransferase after radiofrequency ablation of primary liver cancer: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND Changes in alkaline phosphatase(ALP)andγ-glutamyltransferase(GGT)levels in patients with primary liver cancer(PLC)after radiofrequency ablation(RFA).Hepatocellular carcinoma is a malignant tumor with high incidence worldwide.As a common local treatment,RFA has attracted much attention for its efficacy and influence on liver function.AIM To investigate the effect of serum ALP and GGT levels on the prognosis of patients with PLC treated by RFA.METHODS The preoperative clinical data of 165 patients who were pathologically or clinically diagnosed with PLC and who received RFA in our hospital between October 2018 and June 2023 were collected.The chi-square test was used to compare the data between groups.The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression were used to analyze the associ-ations between serum ALP and GGT levels and overall survival,progression-free survival(PFS)and clinical characteristics of patients before treatment.RESULTS The 1-year survival rates of patients with normal(≤135 U/L)and abnormal(>135 U/L)serum ALP before treatment were 91%and 79%,respectively;the 2-year survival rates were 90%and 68%,respectively;and the 5-year survival rates were 35%and 18%,respectively.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P=0.01).Before treatment,the 1-year survival rates of patients with normal serum GGT levels(≤45 U/L)and abnormal serum GGT levels(>45 U/L)were 95%and 87%,the 2-year survival rates were 85%and 71%,and the 5-year survival rates were 37%and 21%,respectively.The difference between the two groups was statist-ically significant(P<0.001).Serum ALP[hazard ratio(HR)=1.766,95%confidence interval(95%CI):1.068-2.921,P=0.027]and GGT(HR=2.312,95%CI:1.367-3.912,P=0.002)is closely related to the overall survival of PLC patients after RF ablation and is an independent prognostic factor.The 1-year PFS rates were 72%and 50%,the 2-year PFS rates were 52%and 21%,and the 5-year PFS rates were 14%and 3%,respectively.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0001).The 1-year PFS rates were 81%and 56%in patients with normal and abnormal serum GGT levels before treatment,respectively;the 2-year PFS rates were 62%and 35%,respectively;and the 5-year PFS rates were 18%and 7%,respectively,with statistical significance between the two groups(P<0.001).The serum ALP concentration(HR=1.653,95%CI:1.001-2.729,P=0.049)and GGT(HR=1.949,95%CI:1.296-2.930,P=0.001)was closely associated with PFS after RFA in patients with PLC.The proportion of male patients with abnormal ALP levels is high,the Child-Pugh grade of liver function is poor,and the incidence of ascites is high.Among GGT-abnormal patients,the Child-Pugh grade of liver function was poor,the tumor stage was late,the proportion of patients with tumors≥5 cm was high,and the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy was high.CONCLUSION Serum ALP and GGT levels before treatment can be used to predict the prognosis of patients with PLC after RFA,and they have certain guiding significance for the long-term survival of patients with PLC after radiofrequency therapy.

Efficacy and safety of B-ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of primary liver cancer: Systematic review and metaanalysis

BACKGROUND Primary liver cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies in the world.Tradi-tional treatment methods have limitations in terms of efficacy and safety.Ra-diofrequency ablation(RFA)guided by B-ultrasound,as a minimally invasive treatment,has attracted increasing attention in the treatment of primary liver cancer in recent years.AIM To study the efficacy and safety of RFA were compared with those of traditional surgery(TS)for treating small liver cancer.METHODS At least 2 people were required to search domestic and foreign public databases,including foreign databases such as EMBASE,PubMed and the Cochrane Library,and Chinese databases such as the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database,China Biomedical Literature database,Wanfang database and VIP database.Controlled trials of RFA vs conventional surgery for small liver cancer were retrieved from January 2008 to January 2023.They were screened and eva-luated according to the quality evaluation criteria in the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews.The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 soft-ware.RESULTS A total of 10 studies were included in this study,including 1503 patients in the RFA group and 1657 patients in the surgery group.The results of the meta-ana-lysis showed that there was no significant difference in 1-year overall survival between the two groups(P>0.05),while the 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates and 1-year,3-year and 5-year tumor-free survival rates in the surgery group were greater than those in the RFA group(P<0.05).In terms of complications,the incidence of complications in the RFA group was lower than that in the surgery group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION In terms of long-term survival,TS is better than RFA for small liver cancer patients.However,RFA has fewer complications and is safer.

Importance of Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation for Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective: To study the importance of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) guided by ultrasound for inoperable recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods: Forty-seven patients with inoperable recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) under ultrasond between October 1999 and July 2001. Twenty-four patients had single recurrent tumor and 23 patients had multiple lesions. Twelve patients had single lesion with less than 3.5 cm in diameter. All patients were followed up to examine the value of AFP, MRI or CT after PRFA. Kaplan-Meier estimation was used to analyze the survival rate.Results: The 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rate in single lesion group was 65.2%, 37.5% and 37.5% respectively. The survival rate of 1 and 2 years was 41.7% and 19.5% in the multiple lesions group. The 1-, 2-and 3-year survival rate in single lesion groups with less than 3.5 cm in diameter was 83.3%, 51.4% and 51.4% respectively.Conclusion: PRFA is one of the important comprehensive methods for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma. According to the size, number and recurrent time, PRFA can be performed separately or combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for inoperable recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma. This method can control the recurrence and increase the survival rate effectively. Key words recurrence - hepatocellular cacinoma - radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation as treatment for pulmonary metastasis of colorectal cancer

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) causes focal coagulation necrosis in tissue. Its first clinical application was reported in 2000, and RFA has since been commonly used in both primary and metastatic lung cancer. The procedure is typically performed using computed tomography guidance, and the techniques for introducing the electrode to the tumor are simple and resemble those used in percutaneous lung biopsy. The most common complication is pneumothorax, which occurs in up to 50% of procedures; chest tube placement for pneumothorax is required in up to 25% of procedures. Other severe complications, such as pleural effusion requiring chest tube placement, infection, and nerve injury, are rare. The local efficacy depends on tumor size, and local progression after RFA is not rare, occurring in 10% or more of patients. The local progression rate is particularly high for tumors &#x0003e; 3 cm. Repeat RFA may be used to treat local progression. Short- to mid-term survival after RFA appears promising and is approximately 85%-95% at 1 year and 45%-55% at 3 years. Long-term survival data are sparse. Better survival may be expected for patients with small metastasis, low carcinoembryonic antigen levels, and/or no extrapulmonary metastasis. The notable advantages of RFA are that it is simple and minimally invasive; preserves pulmonary function; can be repeated; and is applicable regardless of previous treatments. Its most substantial limitation is limited local efficacy. Although surgery is still the method of choice for treatment with curative intent, the ultimate application of RFA may be to replace metastasectomy for small metastases. Randomized trials comparing RFA with surgery are needed.

Combination of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: observation of clinical effects

Objective： To observe the clinical effect of radiofrequency ablation （RFA） combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization （TACE） for advanced hepatocellnlar carcinoma （HCC）. Methods： A total of 92 eases of advanced primary liver cancer underwent TACE and RFA treatment from June 2005 to 2011 at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College. A total of 88 cases with complete clinical treatment and follow-up data were divided into two groups： 43 patients treated with TACE （TACE group） and 45 patients that received TACE combined with RFA treatment （TACE ＋ RFA group）. After clinical data assessment, tumor size and survival status were not significantly different between the groups as determined by stratified analysis. Results： Before and after surgery, spiral CT radiography and color comparison observed ablation conditions. The tumor necrosis rates after treatment （CR ＋ PR） were 67.4% （29/43） and 91.1% （41/45） for the TACE and combined treatment groups, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant （P〈0.05）. The quality of life was significantly improved for patients undergoing TACE ~ RFA compared with the control group. Survival duration was not significantly different in patients undergoing TACE ~ RFA compared with the control group. Conclusions： In this study, the effect of RFA combined with TACE treatment was better than TACE alone in treating advanced HCC.

Radiofrequency ablation or microwave ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma by comparing with radiofrequency ablation alone

Objective：To compare radiofrequency ablation （RFA） or microwave ablation （MWA） and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization （TACE） with RFA or MWA monotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）.Methods：A prospective,randomized,controlled trial was conducted on 94 patients with HCC ≤7 cm at a single tertiary referral center from June 2008 to June 2010 at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery,the Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University.The patients were randomly assigned into the TACERFA or TACE-MWA （combined treatment group） and the RFA-alone or MWA-alone groups （control group）.The primary end point was overall survival.The secondary end point was recurrence-free survival,and the tertiary end point was adverse effects.Results：Until the time of censor,17 patients in the TACE-RFA or TACE-MWA group had died.The median follow-up time of the patients who were still alive for the TACE-RFA or TACE-MWA group was 47.5±11.3 months （range,29 to 62 months）.The 1-,3-and 5-year overall survival for the TACE-RFA or TACE-MWA group was 93.6％,68.1％ and 61.7％,respectively.Twenty-five patients in the RFA or MWA group had died.The median follow-up time of the patients who were still alive for the RFA or MWA group was 47.0±12.9 months （range,28 to 62 months）.The 1-,3-and 5-year overall survival for the RFA or MWA group was 85.1％,59.6％ and 44.7％,respectively.The patients in the TACE-RFA or TACE-MWA group had better overall survival than the RFA or MWA group [hazard ratio （HR）,0.526; 95％ confidence interval （95％ CO,0.334-0.823; P=0.002],and showed better recurrence-free survival than the RFA or MWA group （HR,0.582; 95％ CI,0.368-0.895; P=0.008）.Conclusions：RFA or MWA combined with TACE in the treatment of HCC ≤7 cm was superior to RFA or MWA alone in improving survival by reducing arterial and portal blood flow due to TACE with iodized oil before RFA.

Role of Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound in Radiofrequency Ablation of Metastatic Liver Carcinoma

Objective： To investigate the application of contrast enhanced ultrasound （CEUS） in planning and guiding for radiofrequency ablation （RFA） for metastatic liver carcinoma （MLC）. Methods： One hundred and thirty-five patients with clinically and pathologically diagnosed MLC （from gastrointestinal tumors） were included in the present study, and 104 of them had received CEUS prior to RFA to assess the number, size, shape, infiltration, location and enhancing features of the lesions. Among the 204 patients, 21 （20.1%） were excluded from RFA treatment due to too many lesions or large infiltrative range based on CEUS. The remaining 83 patients with 147 lesions underwent RFA （group A）. During the same period, other 32 patients with 202 lesions serving as control group were treated based on findings of conventional ultrasound without contrast （group B）. The patients underwent follow-up enhanced CT at the 1st month, and then every 3-6 months after RFA. The tumor was considered as early necrosis if no contrast enhancement was detected in the treated area on the CT scan at the 2st month. Results： In group A, 72 of 147 MLC lesions （48.9%） showed increased sizes on CEUS. Among them, 48 lesions （66.6%） appeared enlarged in arterial phase, and 24 （33.3%） showed enlarged hypoechoic area in parenchymal phase. CEUS showed total 61 additional lesions in 35 patients （42.2%） （ranged from 8 to 15 mm） compared with conventional ultrasound （US）, and 42 （68.8%） of them were visualized in parenchymal phase only. There were total 208 lesions in group A underwent RFA with CEUS planning, and the tumor necrosis rate was 94.2% （196/208）. In this group, local recurrence was found in 26 lesions （7.7%） during 3-42 months＇ following up, and new metastases were seen in 30 cases （36.2%）. For group B, the tumor necrosis rate was 86.3% （88/202）, local recurrence in 27 lesions （16.7%）, and new metastases in 13 cases （41.9%）. Tumor early necrosis and recurrence rates were significantly different between the two groups （P=0.018, P=0.016, respectively）. Conclusion： CEUS played an important role in RFA for liver metastases by candidate selecting and therapy planning, which helped to improve the outcome of the treatment.

Long-term survival following radiofrequency ablation of colorectal liver metastases: A retrospective study

AIM: To retrospectively evaluate the long-term survivalof patients that received radiofrequency ablation(RFA) therapies of colorectal liver metastases. METHODS: In 2005 to 2008, RFA of 105 colorectal liver metastases(CRLM) were performed on 49 patients in our institution. The liver metastases were evaluated, both before and after ablation therapies, with contrast enhanced computerised tomography and contrast enhanced ultrasonography. Histological evidence of malignant liver metastases was obtained in the few instances where contrast enhanced ultrasonography gave equivocal results. Accesses to the CRLM were guided ultrasonically in all patients. The data obtained from records of these ablations were retrospectively analysed and survival data were compared with existing studies in the literature.RESULTS: 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year survival rates, when no stringent selection criteria were applied, were 92%, 65%, 51%, 41% and 29% respectively. To explore the impact of the number and size of CRLM on patients' survival, an exclusion of 13 patients(26.5%) with number of CRLM ≥ 5 and tumour size ≥ 40 mm resulted in 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year survival rates improving to 94%, 69%, 53%, 42% and 31% respectively. It is of note that 9 of 49 patients developed extra-hepatic metastases, not visible or seen on pretreatment scans, just after RFA treatment. These patients had poorer survival. The development of extra-hepatic metastases in nearly 20% of the patients included in our study can partly account for modestly lower survival rates as compared with earlier studies in the literature.CONCLUSION: Our study underscores the fact that optimum patients' selection before embarking on RFA treatment is vitally important to achieving a superior outcome.

Combined hepatectomy and radiofrequency ablation versus TACE in improving survival of patients with unresectable BCLC stage B HCC

BACKGROUND： Combined hepatectomy and radiofrequency ablation（RFA） provides an additional treatment for patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer（BCLC） stage B hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC） who are conventionally deemed unresectable. This study aimed to analyze the outcome of this combination therapy by comparing it with transarterial chemoembolization（TACE）. METHODS： We retrospectively reviewed 51 patients with unresectable BCLC stage B HCC who had received the combination therapy. We compared the survival of these patients with that of 102 patients in the TACE group（control）. Prognostic factors associated with worse survival in the combination group were analyzed.RESULTS： No differences in tumor status and liver function were observed between the TACE group and combination group. The median survival time for the combination group and TACE group was 38（6-54） and 17（3-48） months, respectively（P〈0.001）. The combination group required longer hospitalization than the TACE group [8（5-14） days vs 4（2-9） days,P〈0.001]. More than two ablations decreased the survival rate in the combination group. CONCLUSIONS： Combined hepatectomy and RFA yielded a better long-term outcome than TACE in patients with unresectable BCLC stage B HCC. Patients with a limited ablated size（≤2 cm）, a limited number of ablations（≤2）, and adequate surgical margin should be considered candidates for combination therapy.

The current role of radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Local ablative therapy is used in treating liver tumors by either injection of cytotoxic agents（chemicals,radioactive isotopes,hyperthermic agents or chemotherapeutic agents）or application of an energy source to achieve thermal ablation,cryoablation or conformal external beam radiation（Table 1）.

Hepatic Resection Combined with Radiofrequency Ablation versus Hepatic Resection Alone for Multifocal Hepatocellular Carcinomas:A Meta-analysis

This meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively assess the efficacy and safety of hepatic resection combined with radiofrequency ablation versus hepatic resection（HR） alone for the treatment of multifocal hepatocellular carcinomas（HCC）. A literature search was conducted from the database including MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials（CENTRAL） and China Biology Medicine（CBM） disc. The primary outcomes included the 1-, 3-, 5-year overall survival（OS） and disease-free survival（DFS） rate. The secondary outcomes contained the intraoperative parameters and postoperative adverse events（AEs）. These parameters were all analyzed by Rev Man 5.3 software. After carefully screening relevant studies, four retrospective studies of high quality involving 466 patients（197 in the combined group and 269 in the HR group） were included in this study. The pooled results showed that the 1-, 3-, 5-year OS rate in the combined group were comparable with those in the HR group（OR=0.77, 0.96, 0.88; P=0.33, 0.88, 0.70, respectively）. Similarly, there was no significant difference in 1-, 3-, 5-year DFS rate between the combined group and the HR alone group（OR=0.57, 0.83, 0.72; P=0.17, 0.37, 0.32, respectively）. And the intraoperative parameters and postoperative AEs were also comparable between the above two cohorts. However, two included studies reported that tumor often recurred in the ablation site in the combined group. The present meta-analysis indicated that the HR combined with RFA could reach a long-term survival outcome similar to curative HR for multifocal HCC patients. And this therapy may be a promising alternative for these patients with marginal liver function or complicated tumor distribution. Furthermore, high quality randomized controlled trials（RCTs） are imperative to verify this conclusion.

Propensity score analyses of long-term outcomes of perivascular hepatocellular carcinoma: Radiofrequency ablation vs. surgery

To the Editor:WereadwithgreatinterestthearticlebyDr.Leeetal.[1],which compared the long-term outcomes of patients with perivascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radiofrequency ablation(RFA) and surgical resection (SR) as first-line treatment. By using propensity score matching (PSM) analyses, the authors concluded that SR provided better long-term tumor control and overall survival than RFA for patients with small periportal tumors. Herein,

Prospective comparative study of cool-tip radiofrequency ablation and surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and surgical resection for the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: From January 2002 to June 2009, 87 HCC patients with 3 or fewer nodules, no more than 3 cm in diameter, and liver function of Child-Pugh class A or B were enrolled. Forty-seven underwent RFA while 40 underwent surgical resection. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 69 months. We compared the overall and disease-free survival rate, recurrence patterns, and the complications between the two groups. Survival prob-abilities were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: At the end of the study, 67 patients were alive. The 1-, 2- and 3-year overall cumulative survival rates after RFA and surgical resection were 91.0%, 76.7%, 69.7% and 90.0%, 82.9%, 75.4%, respectively. The difference between the two survival curves was not statistically significant (χ2 = 0.99, P = 0.32). Forty-three patients suffered intrahepatic recurrence, including 25 cases after RFA and 18 cases after surgical resection. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year disease-free survival rates after radiofrequency ablation and surgical resection were 57.3% vs 71.1%, 40.3% vs 45.7%, and 35.3% vs 30.9%. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (χ2 = 0.06, P = 0.80). Cox hazard model indicated tumor size and Child-Pugh scoring were significant risk factors for local tumor progression, while tumor numbers was risk factor for intrahepatic distant recurrence. Conclusion: RFA is as effective as surgical resection for the treatment of patients with HCC (≤ 5 cm), especially for those who are not suitable for curative resection.