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.

Role of submucosal injection in radiofrequency ablation of gastric low-grade dysplasia:Effects on symptoms and outcomes

Background:To date,there is still a lack of standardized management strategies for gastric low-grade dysplasia(LGD),which is a direct neoplastic precancerous lesion and requires specifically superficial destruction.Radiofrequency ablation(RFA)is expected to be an effective method for gastric LGD,but post-RFA pain may affect patients’satisfaction and compliance.The current study aimed to evaluate the value of a submucosal injection prior to RFA(SI-RFA)for postoperative pain and treatment outcomes.Methods:Between October 2014 and July 2021,gastric LGDs without risk factors(size>2 cm,unclear boundary,and abnormal microsurface and microvascularity)undergoing regular RFA and SI-RFA were retrospectively analyzed.Postoperative pain scores,wound healing,and clinical efficacy were compared.Propensity score matching,stratified analysis,and multivariable logistic regression were performed to control the confounding variables.Results:One hundred and ninety-seven gastric LGDs in 151 patients received regular RFA.Forty-nine gastric LGDs in 36 patients received SI-RFA.Thirty-six pairs of patients were selected for the assessment of postoperative pain by propensity score matching.Compared to regular RFA,SI-RFA significantly decreased the degree and duration of postoperative pain(OR,0.32;95%CI,0.13-0.84;P=0.020),improved wound healing rate(80.0%[36/45]vs.58.9%[89/151],P=0.012),increased the complete ablation rate(91.8%[45/49]vs.86.3%[170/197],χ^(2)=1.094,P=0.295),but correlated with higher rates of local recurrence and progression(25.6%[10/39]vs.13.2%[18/136],χ^(2)=3.471,P=0.062;8.3%[3/36]vs.0.9%[1/116],P=0.042).The multivariable logistic regression model confirmed that submucosal injection was associated with local recurrence(OR,2.93;95%CI,1.13-7.58;P=0.027).Conclusions:Submucosal injections prior to RFA may reduce postoperative pain and scar formation while ensuring complete ablation of gastric LGD.However,local recurrence and progression should be considered seriously.

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.

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.

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.

Endoscopic ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation for pancreatic tumors: A critical review focusing on safety, efficacy and controversies

The role of endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)in the last two decades has shifted from a diagnostic tool to an important therapeutic tool treating mainly pancreatobiliary disorders.In recent years,its applications for treating pancreatic diseases have broadened,including the implementation of radiofrequency ablation(RFA),which has been traditionally used for treating solid tumors.In this critical indepth review,we summarized all the papers throughout the literature regarding EUS-RFA for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms,adenocarcinoma,and pancreatic cystic lesions.Overall,for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms we identified 16 papers that reported 96 patients who underwent EUS-RFA,with acceptable adverse events that were rated mild to moderate and a high complete radiological resolution rate of 90%.For pancreatic adenocarcinoma,we identified 8 papers with 121 patients.Adverse events occurred in 13%of patients,mostly rated mild.However,no clear survival benefit was demonstrated.For pancreatic cystic lesions,we identified 4 papers with 38 patients.The adverse events were mostly mild and occurred in 9.1%of patients,and complete or partial radiological resolution of the cysts was reported in 36.8%.Notably,the procedure was technically feasible for most of the patients.Nevertheless,a long road remains before this technique finds its definite place in guidelines due to several controversies.EUS-RFA for pancreatic tumors seems to be safe and effective,especially for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms,but multicenter prospective trials are needed to consider this treatment as a gold standard.

Radiofrequency ablation is an inferior option to liver resection for solitary hepatocellular carcinoma≤5 cm without cirrhosis:A population-based study with stratification by tumor size

Background:About 10%-20%of all individuals who develop hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)do not have cirrhosis.Comparisons are rarely reported regarding the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation(RFA)and liver resection(LR)in survival of HCC without cirrhosis and stratification by tumor size≤5 cm.Methods:We used the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results(SEER)database and identified 1505 patients with a solitary HCC tumor≤5 cm who underwent RFA or LR during 2004-2015.Patients were classified into non-cirrhosis and cirrhosis groups and each group was categorized into three subgroups,according to tumor size(≤30 mm,31-40 mm,41-50 mm).Results:In patients without cirrhosis,LR showed better 5-year HCC cancer-specific survival than RFA in all tumor size subgroups(≤30 mm:82.51%vs.56.42%;31-40 mm:71.31%vs.46.83%;41-50 mm:74.7%vs.37.5%;all P<0.05).Compared with RFA,LR was an independent protective factor for HCC cancer-specific survival in multivariate Cox analysis[≤30 mm:hazard ratio(HR)=0.533,95%confidence interval(CI):0.313-0.908;31-40 mm:HR=0.439,95%CI:0.201-0.957;41-50 mm:HR=0.382;95%CI:0.159-0.916;all P<0.05].In patients with cirrhosis,for both tumor size≤30 mm and 31-40 mm groups,there were no significant survival differences between RFA and LR in multivariate analysis(all P>0.05).However,in those with tumor size 41-50 mm,LR showed significantly better 5-year HCC cancer-specific survival than RFA in both univariate(54.72%vs.23.06%;P<0.001)and multivariate analyses(HR=0.297;95%CI:0.136-0.648;P=0.002).Conclusions:RFA is an inferior treatment option to LR for patients without cirrhosis who have a solitary HCC tumor≤5 cm.

Radiofrequency ablation for renal tumours: A retrospective study from a tertiary centre

Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy outcomes of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation(RFA)for localised renal cell carcinoma(RCC)in a tertiary hospital patient who remained unfit for surgical intervention.Methods:We retrospectively analysed survival outcomes for patients with biopsy proven RCC treated by RFA at Royal Perth Hospital between September 2009 and May 2018.Complication data were gathered for all patients that underwent renal RFA along with 2-and 5-year recurrence-free survival(RFS)rate and compared the outcomes with data from previous studies.Results:A total of 69 patients(73 procedures)were eligible for the study,and those patients had biopsy-proven RCC with a minimum of 2-year follow-up.The complication rate was 8.2%(6/73)and local recurrence rate 9.6%(7/73).Two-year RFS is 95.7% and 5-year RFS is 78.8% on a median 3.82-year follow-up(interquartile range 1.90-5.75 years).Conclusion:RFA performed at our centre was found to be safe and effective with low complication rates and durable RFS in line with expectations from existing research.Our study demonstrated that RFA is an alternative modality of treatment for small renal tumours in patients unfit for surgical approach.

Hemocholecyst caused by accidental injury associated with radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma:A case report

BACKGROUND Radiofrequency ablation(RFA)is an effective and safe treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma that features a lower incidence of serious complications than surgical resection.Hemocholecyst caused by RFA is a rare complication of secondary damage to the intrahepatic bile duct that results in hemobilia.CASE SUMMARY Here we report on a case of a hemocholecyst caused by accidental injury during RFA that induced hematemesis and melena.Digital subtraction angiography revealed no gallbladder arterial injuries.After conservative treatment and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization,the patient’s condition stabilized,and she was discharged 1 wk later.CONCLUSION Therefore,when performing interventional procedures such as RFA,clinicians must be vigilant because even minor injuries can lead to serious complications such as hemocholecyst.

Endoscopic intraductal radiofrequency ablation for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma:An update(2023)

Recently,endoscopic intraductal radiofrequency ablation(ID-RFA)has attracted attention as a local treatment method for malignant biliary obstruction(MBO).IDRFA causes coagulative necrosis of the tumor tissue in the stricture and induces exfoliation.Its effects are expected to extend the patency period of biliary stents and prolong the survival period.Evidence for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(eCCA)is gradually accumulating,and some reports show significant therapeutic effects in eCCA patients without distant metastasis.However,it is still far from an established treatment technique,and many unsolved problems remain.Therefore,when performing ID-RFA in clinical practice,it is necessary to understand and grasp the current evidence well and to operate appropriately for the true benefit of the patients.This paper reviews the current status,issues,and prospects of endoscopic ID-RFA for MBO,especially for eCCA.

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

Past,present,and future perspectives of ultrasound-guided ablation of liver tumors:Where could artificial intelligence lead interventional oncology?

The first ablation procedures for small hepatocellular carcinomas were percutaneous ethanol injection under ultrasound(US)guidance.Later,radiofrequency ablation was shown to achieve larger coagulation areas than percutaneous ethanol injection and became the most used ablation technique worldwide.In the past decade,microwave ablation systems have achieved larger ablation areas than radiofrequency ablation,suggesting that the 3-cm barrier could be broken in the treatment of liver tumors.Likewise,US techniques to guide percutaneous ablation have seen important progress.Contrast-enhanced US(CEUS)can define and target the tumor better than US and can assess the size of the ablation area after the procedure,which allows immediate retreatment of the residual tumor foci.Furthermore,fusion imaging fuses real-time US images with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging with significant improvements in detecting and targeting lesions with low conspicuity on CEUS.Recently,software powered by artificial intelligence has been developed to allow three-dimensional segmentation and reconstruction of the anatomical structures,aiding in procedure planning,assessing ablation completeness,and targeting the residual viable foci with greater precision than CEUS.Hopefully,this could lead to the ablation of tumors up to 5-7 cm in size.

Meta-analysis of radiofrequency ablation in combination with transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To compare radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with RFA monotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We searched PubMed, Medline, Embase and Chinese databases (CBMdisc and Wanfang data) for randomized controlled trails comparing RFA plus TACE and RFA alone for treatment of HCC from January 2000 to December 2012. The overall survival rate, re-currence-free survival rate, tumor progression rate, and safety were analyzed and compared. The analysis was conducted on dichotomous outcomes and the standard meta-analytical techniques were used. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95%CIs were calculated using either the fixed-effects or random-effects model. For each meta-analysis, the χ2 and I2 tests were first calculated to assess the heterogeneity of the included trials. For P<0.05 and I 2>50%, the assumption of homogeneity was deemed invalid, and the random-effects model wasused; otherwise, data were assessed using the fixed-effects model. All statistical analysis was conducted us-ing Review manager (version 4.2.2.) from the Cochrane collaboration. RESULTS: Eight randomized controlled trials were identified as eligible for inclusion in this analysis and included 598 patients with 306 treated with RFA plus TACE and 292 with RFA alone. Our data analysis indicated that RFA plus TACE was associated a sig-nificantly higher overall survival rate (OR 1-year=2.96, 95%CI: 1.84-7.74, P<0.001; OR 2-year=3.72, 95%CI: 1.24-11.16, P=0.02; OR 3-year=2.65, 95%CI: 1.81-3.86, P<0.001) and recurrence-free survival rate (OR 3-year=3.00, 95%CI: 1.75-5.13, P<0.001; OR 5-year=2.26, 95%CI: 1.43-3.57, P=0.0004) vs that of RFA alone. The tumor progression rate in patients treated with RFA alone was higher than that of RFA plus TACE (OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.42-0.88, P=0.008) and there was no significant difference on major complications between two different kinds of treatment (OR=1.20, 95%CI: 0.31-4.62, P=0.79). Additionally, the meta-analysis data of subgroups revealed that the survival rate was significantly higher in patients with intermediate-and large-size HCC underwent RFA plus TACE than in those underwent RFA monotherapy; however, there was no significant difference between RFA plus TACE and RFA on survival rate for small HCC. CONCLUSION: The combination of RFA with TACE has advantages in improving overall survival rate, and pro-vides better prognosis for patients with intermediate-and large-size HCC.

Percutaneous microwave ablation vs radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular cancer ranks fifth among cancers and is related to chronic viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse,steatohepatitis and liver autoimmunity. Surgical resection and orthotopic liver transplantation have curative potential, but fewer than 20% of patients are suitable candidates. Interventional treatments are offered to the vast majority of patients. Radiofrequency(RFA) and microwave ablation(MWA) are among the therapeutic modalities, with similar indications which include the presence of up to three lesions, smaller than 3 cm in size, and the absence of extrahepatic disease. The therapeutic effect of both methods relies on thermal injury, but MWA uses an electromagnetic field as opposed to electrical current used in RFA. Unlike MWA, the effect of RFA is partially limited by the heat-sink effect and increased impedance of the ablated tissue. Compared with RFA, MWA attains a more predictable ablation zone, permits simultaneous treatment of multiple lesions, and achieves larger coagulation volumes in a shorter procedural time. Major complications of both methods are comparable and infrequent(approximately 2%-3%), and they include haemorrhage, infection/abscess, visceral organ injury, liver failure, and pneumothorax. RFA may incur the additional complication of skin burns. Nevertheless, there is no compelling evidence for differences in clinical outcomes, including local recurrence rates and survival.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization followed by immediate radiofrequency ablation for large solitary hepatocellular carcinomas

AIM: To assess the technical safety and efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with immediate radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for large hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) (maximum diameter ≥ 5 cm). METHODS: Individual lesions in 18 patients with HCCs (mean maximum diameter: 7.5 cm; range: 5.1-15.5 cm) were treated by TACE combined with percutaneous RFA between January 2010 and June 2012. All of the patients had previously undergone one to four cycles of TACE treatment. Regular imaging and laboratory tests were performed to evaluate the rate of technical success, technique-related complications, local-regional tumor responses, recurrence-free survival time and survival rate after treatment.RESULTS: Technical success was achieved for all 18 visible HCCs. Complete response (CR) was observed in 17 cases, and partial response was observed in 1 case 1 mo after intervention. The CR rate was 94.4%. Local tumors were mainly characterized by coagulative necrosis. During follow-up (2-29 mo), the mean recurrencefree survival time was 16.8 ± 4.0 mo in 17 cases of CR. The estimated overall survival rate at 6, 12, and 18 mo was 100%. No major complications were observed. Levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the blood of 17 patients transiently increased on the third day after treatment (ALT 200.4 ± 63.4 U/L vs 24.7 ± 9.3 U/L, P < 0.05; AST 228.1 ± 25.4 U/L vs 32.7 ± 6.8 U/L, P < 0.05). Severe pain occurred in three patients, which was controlled with morphine and fentanyl. CONCLUSION: TACE combined with immediate RFA is a safe and effective treatment for large solitary HCCs. Severe pain is a major side effect, but can be controlled by morphine.

Radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma sized> 3 and ≤ 5 cm: Is ablative margin of more than 1 cm justified?

AIM:To investigate whether an ablative margin(AM)>1.0 cm might reduce chance of recurrence for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)tumors 3.1to 5.0 cm in size,compared with an AM of 0.5-1.0 cm.METHODS:From October 2005 to December 2012,936 consecutive patients with HCC who received radiofrequency ablation were screened.Of these,281 patients,each with a single primary HCC tumor of 3.1 to5.0 cm in size on its greatest diameter,were included in the study.Based on the AM width,we categorized patients into the 0.5-1.0 cm group and the>1.0 cm group.Local tumor progression(LTP)-free survival,intrahepatic distant recurrence(IDR)-free survival and overall survival(OS)rates were obtained using the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS:The 1-,2-,3-,4-,and 5-year LTP-free survival rates and IDR-free survival rates were significantly higher in the>1.0 cm group compared with the 0.5-1.0cm group(97.5%,86.3%,73.6%,49.5%and 26.4%vs 91.3%,78.4%,49.5%,27.8%,and 12.8%;95.1%,90.3%,77.0%,61.0%and 48.3%vs 95.2%,85.9%,62.6%,47.2%and 28.5%;P<0.05).The 1-,2-,3-,4-,and 5-year OS rates were 98.6%,91.5%,69.2%,56.0%and 42.2%,respectively,in the 0.5-1.0 cm group and 100%,98.9%,90.1%,68.7%and 57.4%,respectively,in the>1.0 cm group(P=0.010).There were no significant differences in complication rates between the two groups.Both univariate and multivariate analyses identified AM as an independent prognostic factor linked to LTP,IDR,and OS.CONCLUSION:For HCC tumors>3.0 cm and≤5.0cm,AM>1.0 cm could reduce chances of recurrence compared with AM of 0.5-1.0 cm,emphasizing the need for a more defensive strategy using AMs>1.0 cm for ablating HCC tumors of 3.1 to 5.0 cm.