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Objectives: To compare the safety and efficacy of RFA for single HCCs ≤ 3 cm in subcapsular versus nonsubcapsular locations using a propensity score matched analysis., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included patients with solitary HCCs ≤ 3 cm in size who underwent percutaneous RFA from 2005 to 2015 as initial treatment at two large-volume liver centers. Patients were divided into two groups, consisting of those with subcapsular and nonsubcapsular tumor locations. Complications, local tumor progression (LTP), and overall survival (OS) were compared in these two groups before and after propensity score matching (PSM)., Results: The study population consisted of 964 patients (712 men [74%]) of mean age 58.3 years. Of these 964 patients, 561 (58%) had nonsubcapsular and 403 (42%) had subcapsular HCCs. PSM generated 402 pairs of patients. Major complication rate was low, but significantly higher in the subcapscular group (p = 0.047). Rates of technical effectiveness in these two groups were 99% and 98%, respectively (p = 0.315). However, during follow-up, cumulative 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year LTP and OS rates did significantly differ in both entire and PSM cohorts, resulting in the latter 8%, 15%, 20%, and 26% in the nonsubcapsular group vs. 13%, 24%, 30%, and 31% in the subcapsular group (p = 0.015), and 99%, 91%, 80%, and 59% vs. 98%, 85%, 73%, and 50% in the two groups (p = 0.004), respectively., Conclusion: Rates of major complications, LTP, and OS differed significantly following first-line RFA treatment of single HCCs ≤ 3 cm in favor of the nonsubcapsular locations., Clinical Relevance Statement: This large-scale study provides evidence that radiofrequency ablation for small (≤ 3 cm) hepatocellular carcinomas is safer and more effective in nonsubcapsular location than in subcapsular location., Key Points: • There exist conflicting outcomes on the effectiveness of RFA for early HCC depending on tumor location. • Rate of local tumor progression was significantly higher in the subcapsular hepatocellular carcinomas. • Overall survival rate was significantly poorer in the subcapsular hepatocellular carcinomas., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.)

Background/aims: Local ablation therapy (LAT) is primarily recommended for solitary inoperable hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) of ≤3 cm in diameter. However, only two-thirds of uninodular small HCCs are suitable for LAT, and the second-best treatment option for managing these nodules is unclear. We aimed to compare the therapeutic outcomes of chemoembolization and radiotherapy in small HCCs unsuitable for LAT., Methods: The study included 651 patients from a tertiary referral center who underwent planning sonography for LAT. These patients had 801 solitary HCCs of ≤3 cm in diameter and were treated with LAT, chemoembolization, or radiotherapy. Local tumor progression (LTP)-free survival and overall survival (OS) were measured according to the type of treatment of the index nodule., Results: LAT, chemoembolization, and radiotherapy were used to treat 561, 185, and 55 nodules in 467, 148, and 36 patients, respectively. LTP-free survival was significantly shorter in patients treated with chemoembolization than for those treated with LAT (multivariate hazard ratio [HR], 2.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.61 to 3.47) but not for those treated with radiotherapy (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.38 to 1.83). However, OS was not affected by treatment modality. Matching and weighting analyses confirmed that radiotherapy gave comparable results to chemoembolization in terms of OS despite better LTP-free survival (HR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.13 to 7.47 and HR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.11 to 8.48, respectively)., Conclusions: Our data suggest that chemoembolization and radiotherapy are equally effective options for single small HCCs found to be unsuitable for LAT after sonographic planning. Betterfit indications for each procedure should be established by specifically designed studies.

Objective: To summarize the efficacy and safety of thermal ablation for the treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC)., Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochran Library, and Web of Science databases were searched for studies reporting outcomes in patients with ICC treated with thermal ablation. Meta-analyses of cumulative overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), Kaplan-Meier survival rates according to time to local tumor progression (TTLTP), technical efficacy, and incidence of complications were analyzed. Pooled hazard ratios of common variables were calculated to explore factors associated with OS., Results: Twenty observational studies comprising 917 patients were reviewed (primary ICC [n = 502]; post-surgical recurrent ICC [n = 355]; information not available [n = 60]). The pooled proportion of technical efficacy was 91.9% (95% CI, 87.3-94.9%). The pooled 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 82.4% (95% CI, 75.1-88.9%), 42.1% (95% CI, 36.0-48.4%), and 28.5% (95% CI, 21.2-36.2%). Primary tumors showed higher 3-year OS rates than recurrent ones, with borderline significance (p = 0.072). The pooled 1- and 3-year RFS rates were 40.0% (95% CI, 33.6-46.4%) and 19.2% (95% CI, 8.4-32.7%). The pooled 1-, 3-, and 5-year TTLTP rates were 79.3% (95% CI, 65.1-90.9%), 59.5% (95% CI, 49.1-69.4%), and 58.2% (95% CI, 44.9-70.9%). The pooled incidence of major complications was 5.7% (95% CI, 4.1-7.8%). Tumor size (> 3 cm), multiple tumors, and age (> 65 years) were factors associated with shorter OS., Conclusion: Thermal ablation is a successful alternative with a good safety profile, especially for a single ICC smaller than 3 cm., Key Points: • The pooled 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates following thermal ablation for the treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were 82.4%, 42.1%, and 28.5%. • The pooled incidence of major complications was 5.7%. • A tumor size > 3 cm (HR: 2.12, p = 0.006), multiple tumors (HR: 1.67, p = 0.004), and age > 65 years (HR: 1.67, p = 0.006) were factors associated with shorter OS., (© 2021. European Society of Radiology.)

PURPOSE Most patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) are not eligible for surgical resection due to advanced stage. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility, local tumor control, and long-term survival of intraoperative radiofrequency ablation (IORFA) with surgical resection to treat unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). METHODS From 2009 to 2016, 20 consecutive patients (12 primary ICC, 8 recurrent ICC) underwent curative IORFA with hepatic resection for surgically unresectable ICC. Patients were not qualified to undergo surgical resection due to multiple lesions causing postoperative hepatic insufficiency and undesirable tumor locations for surgical resection or percutaneous RFA. Of the 51 treated tumors (mean, 2.6±0.9 tumors/patient), 24 were treated by IORFA and 27 were surgically removed. The technical success and effectiveness, overall survival, progression-free survival (PFS), and complications were assessed retrospectively. The overall survival and PFS rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS The technical success and effectiveness of IORFA were 100%. The overall survival rates at 6 months, 1, 3, and 5 years were 95%, 79%, 27%, and 14%, respectively. The median overall survival time was 22.0±3.45 months. The PFS rates at 6 months, 1, 3, and 5 years were 70%, 33%, 13%, and 13%, respectively. The median PFS was 9.0±1.68 months. The prognosis was significantly worse for patients with recurrent ICC than for patients with primary ICC. One patient (5%) had major complications due to IORFA such as liver abscess and biliary stricture. CONCLUSION IORFA with surgical resection can be a feasible option for ICC cases that are not amenable to treatment with surgical resection alone. This strategy provides acceptable local tumor control and overall survival.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation for treatment of hepatic metastases from gastric adenocarcinoma., Materials and Methods: Of 24 patients who underwent percutaneous RF ablation after gastrectomy for a hepatic metastasis from a gastric cancer during the period 2000-2013, 19 were enrolled (median age, 63 y) with 21 metastatic tumors (mean diameter, 2.3 cm). Patient overall survival (OS) and local tumor progression-free survival (PFS) outcomes were assessed and compared according to patient and tumor characteristics, including tumor size and lobar distribution. The difference in diameter between tumor and ablation zone was compared according to lobar distribution., Results: The median OS after RF ablation was 20.3 months, and the median local tumor PFS was 10.4 months. The OS rate was not significantly influenced by any patient or tumor characteristics. In multivariate analysis, independent negative prognostic factors for local tumor PFS were a tumor ≥ 3 cm in diameter (hazard ratio, 10.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-62.5; P = .009) and a tumor located in the left lobe (hazard ratio, 9.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-63.5; P = .026). The difference in diameter between the tumor and ablation zone was significantly different between the right and left lobes (right 1.8 cm ± 0.6 vs left 1.1 cm ± 0.70, P = .028)., Conclusions: With the appropriate selection of patients with tumors ≤ 3 cm in diameter and with the possibility of sufficient safety margins, RF ablation is a safe and feasible treatment option for hepatic metastases from gastric adenocarcinoma., (Copyright © 2015 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of our study was to compare the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for viable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) including areas of retained oil after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) versus RFA treatment of viable HCC alone for ablation coverage., Materials and Methods: Eighty-five patients with 88 viable HCCs underwent RFA of residual viable HCCs around retained iodized oil after TACE. RFA of both viable HCC and retained iodized oil was performed on 47 viable tumors (group A), and RFA of viable HCC only was used to treat the remaining 41 viable tumors (group B)., Results: After initial RFA, the endpoint of ablation was successfully achieved for 45 of 47 tumors in group A and for all 41 tumors in group B. Two residual viable tumors in group A were successfully treated by additional RFA. Major complications occurred after initial RFA treatment of one tumor each in group A (pleural effusion) and group B (collateral damage). During follow-up (mean, 37.1 months; range, 5-116.5 months), local tumor progression of treated lesions was found in 28% in group A and 59% in group B. The respective 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year local tumor progression rates were significantly lower in group A (15%, 32%, 32%, and 32%) than in group B (43%, 71%, 81%, and 81%) (p = 0.001)., Conclusion: In treatment of viable tumors after TACE in patients with HCC, RFA of both viable tumor and retained iodized oil may reduce rates of local tumor progression compared with RFA of viable tumor only.

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for treating small (≤2 cm) hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs)., Methods: This retrospective study consisted of 287 patients (mean age, 57.1 years; age range, 29-84 years; 221 men, 66 women; 73.5% with HBV; 100% with liver cirrhosis) with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer very early-stage HCC (≤2 cm single HCC) who were initially treated with TACE (n=122) or RFA (n=165). The primary study end point was overall patient survival. Secondary study end points were time to progression and tumor response., Results: The RFA and TACE groups were well balanced in terms of baseline variables. The two groups did not differ significantly in overall survival (P=0.079) or major complication (P>0.999) rates. The respective cumulative survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 8 years were 97.6, 86.7, 74.5, and 60.0% for RFA and 93.4, 75.4, 63.1, and 51.1% for TACE. Their objective tumor regression (complete or partial response) rates were 100% (165/165) and 95.9% (117/122), respectively (P=0.013). The median times to progression for RFA and TACE were 27.0±3.8 (95% confidence intervals (CIs): 19.6-34.4) and 18.0±2.9 (95% CIs: 12.2-23.8) months, respectively. RFA yielded a significantly longer time to progression (P=0.034)., Conclusions: TACE may be a viable alternative treatment for ≤2 cm HCCs when RFA is not feasible.

Purpose: To compare retrospectively technical effectiveness and complications after radiofrequency (RF) ablation with internally cooled wet (ICW) electrodes versus conventional internally cooled (IC) electrodes in patients with small (≤3 cm) subphrenic hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs)., Materials and Methods: From March 2008 to January 2012, 165 patients, each with a single small subphrenic HCC, were treated with RF ablation using IC (n = 81) or ICW (n = 84) electrodes., Results: After initial RF ablation, technical success was achieved in 88% of patients treated with IC electrodes and 91% of patients treated with ICW electrodes (P = .623). At 1 month, technical effectiveness was achieved in 93% and 99% (P = .061). Mean ablation volume was significantly greater in patients treated with ICW electrodes compared with patients treated with IC electrodes, using 2-cm (14.5 cm(3) vs 6.2 cm(3); P = .001) and 3-cm (32.7 cm(3) vs 15.2 cm(3); P <.001) exposed tips. The 6-month and 1-, 2-, and 4-year local tumor progression rates were significantly lower after RF ablation with ICW electrodes (5%, 13%, 15%, and 26%) compared with IC electrodes (11%, 24%, 32%, and 35%; P = .044). Major complications occurred in 6% of patients treated with IC electrodes and 2% of patients treated with ICW electrodes., Conclusions: In the treatment of small subphrenic HCCs, percutaneous RF ablation using ICW electrodes results in larger ablation zones and lower rates of local tumor progression than RF ablation using conventional IC electrodes., (Copyright © 2013 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: There is debate whether transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is more effective than RFA alone in the treatment of patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We therefore retrospectively compared these treatments in patients with HCCs of diameter 2-3 cm., Materials and Methods: Outcomes, including tumor progression, survival rates, and major complications, were compared in 83 patients (83 tumors) treated with combined TACE and RFA and in 231 patients (231 tumors) treated with RFA alone., Results: Median follow-up periods were similar in the TACE+RFA and RFA alone groups (37 vs. 38 months). During follow-up, local tumor progression was observed in 16% and 41% of tumors, respectively. The 1, 3, and 5 year local tumor progression-free survival rates were significantly higher in the TACE+RFA group (95%, 86%, and 83%, respectively) than in the RFA-alone group (78%, 61%, and 53%, respectively; P<0.001). The 1, 3, and 5 year overall survival rates, however, were similar in the TACE+RFA (93%, 72%, and 63%, respectively) and RFA (93%, 73%, and 53%, respectively) groups (P=0.545), as were the rates of major complications (1.2% vs. 0.4%)., Conclusions: Combined TACE and RFA was safe and provided better local tumor control than RFA alone in the treatment of 2- to 3-cm sized HCCs, although survival rates were similar., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) using internally cooled wet electrodes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Materials and Methods: From March 2008 to October 2010, 122 patients with 129 HCCs (mean size, 2.2 ± 0.6 [SD] cm; range, 0.7-4 cm) were treated with RFA using internally cooled wet electrodes. Primary technical effectiveness, the frequency of major complications, and local tumor progression rates were evaluated., Results: Two patients (2%) had major complications (liver abscess, significant pleural effusion) after RFA. When evaluated 1 month after RFA, the primary technical effectiveness rate was 99%. The 1- and 2-year local tumor progression rates were 8% and 12%, respectively. Additionally, there was no difference in effectiveness and complication rates between patients with subcapsular HCC and those with nonsubcapsular HCC., Conclusion: Percutaneous RFA using internally cooled wet electrodes is safe and provides successful local tumor control in patients with HCC. The safety and effectiveness of RFA using internally cooled wet electrodes are comparable to those reported in the literature using conventional RFA electrodes and are similar for nonsubcapsular and subcapsular tumors.

Objective: The objective of our study was to retrospectively evaluate local control and survival after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with liver metastases arising from extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who had previously undergone curative resection., Materials and Methods: From May 2003 to May 2009, RFA using an internally cooled electrode was performed on 29 metachronous liver metastases (mean number of tumors per patient, 1.6) arising from extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in 18 patients (mean age, 66 years). Tumor size ranged from 0.9 to 4.6 cm in maximum dimension (mean, 2.3 cm). As historical comparisons, we included 24 patients diagnosed with recurrent metastasis limited to the liver between February 1997 and April 2003 and who met the inclusion criteria for RFA: 16 patients received supportive therapy only and eight patients underwent chemotherapy with or without radiation., Results: Five patients had major complications (liver abscess, n = 4 patients; biliary stricture, n = 1; 17% per-treatment complication rate [5/29]), but there were no procedure-related deaths. Complete tumor necrosis was achieved in all 29 tumors after one session of RFA. The local tumor progression rate was 38% (median time to detection, 5 months). From the first diagnosis of liver metastasis, the median overall survival was 12.4 months and the 3-year survival rate was 10%. Patients who received RFA lived significantly longer than patients who received chemoradiotherapy (median survival, 5.6 months) and those who received supportive treatment (median survival, 5.3 months) (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Percutaneous RFA results in effective local tumor control and may prolong survival in patients with recurrent hepatic metastases after curative resection for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Objective: Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has shown efficacy in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma, but has not been well documented in patients with recurrent intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). We therefore evaluated the long-term survival and safety of percutaneous RFA for patients with recurrent ICC after curative resection., Materials and Methods: A total of 20 patients with 29 recurrent ICCs underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous RFA. All patients had undergone curative resection of the primary ICC. Tumor size ranged from 0.7 cm to 4.4 cm in maximum dimension (mean, 1.9 cm; median, 1.5 cm)., Results: The technical effectiveness rate of RFA was 97% (28/29) of recurrent ICCs. Mean local tumor progression-free survival was 39.8 months, and the cumulative local tumor progression-free 6 month and 1, 2, and 4 year survival rates were 93%, 74%, 74%, and 74%, respectively. Median overall survival after RFA was 27.4 months and the cumulative overall 6 month and 1, 2, and 4 year survival rates were 95%, 70%, 60%, and 21%, respectively. There were two major complications (one liver abscess and one biliary stricture, 7% per treatment) during the follow-up, but no procedure-related deaths., Conclusion: RFA is safe and provides successful local tumor control in patients with recurrent ICC after curative resection. RFA for recurrent ICC resulted in a median overall survival rate of 27.4 months after RFA in the present series., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study was designed to retrospectively compare the effectiveness of combined transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with that of RFA alone in patients with medium-sized (3.1-5.0 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: From March 2000 to April 2010, 57 patients, each with a single medium-sized HCC, were treated with combined TACE and RFA, and 66 were treated with RFA alone., Results: During follow-up (mean, 42.5 ± 33.2 months; range, 2.6-126.2 months), local tumor progression was observed in 40% of treated lesions in the combined treatment group and in 70% in the RFA-alone group. The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year local tumor progression rates were significantly lower in the TACE + RFA group (9%, 40%, 55%, and 66%, respectively) than in the RFA-alone group (45%, 76%, 86%, and 89%, respectively; P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment allocation (odds ratio [OR], 1.78; P = 0.016) and Child-Pugh class (OR, 1.96; P = 0.008) were significant independent factors associated with patient survival. The rates of major complications were 0% for the combined treatment group and 3% for the RFA-alone group., Conclusions: The combination of TACE and RFA is safe and provides better local tumor control than RFA alone for the treatment of patients with medium-sized HCC. Our multivariate analysis showed that RFA-alone treatment and Child-Pugh class B were poor independent factors for determining the patient survival period.

Objective: We present the results of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with unresectable primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma., Materials and Methods: From 2000 to 2009, 13 patients with 17 primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas underwent RFA at our institution. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was unresectable because of poor hepatic reserve due to liver cirrhosis in nine patients, extrahepatic extension in two, atrophy of the left hepatic lobe in one, and underlying comorbidities in one. Ten tumors had a diameter of less than 3 cm, five were between 3 and 5 cm, and two were larger than 5 cm. Technical effectiveness was defined as the complete ablation of the tumor, shown by imaging follow-up 1 month later. Local progression-free survival, overall survival periods, and complications after RFA were also evaluated., Results: Technical effectiveness of RFA was achieved for 15 of the 17 tumors (88%), all smaller than 5 cm in diameter. Treatment failure occurred in two patients with large tumors (7 and 8 cm). After the 17 RFA sessions, one major complication (6%), a liver abscess, occurred 1 month later. During follow-up (median, 19.5 months; range, 3.3-82.1 months), nine patients died and four remain alive. Median local progression-free survival and overall survival periods were 32.2 and 38.5 months, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 85%, 51%, and 15%, respectively., Conclusion: RFA may provide successful local tumor control in patients with primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas of intermediate (3-5 cm) or small (< 3 cm) diameter. RFA for unresectable primary intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma resulted in a median overall survival period of 38.5 months.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for patients with single small (≤ 3 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and preserved liver function (Child-Pugh class A). Materials and methods: The clinical features of treatment-naïve patients who underwent TACE and RFA as first-line treatment were balanced through propensity score matching (PSM). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoints were local tumor recurrence (LTR) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results: The analysis included 440 patients who received TACE, and 430 patients who received RFA. After PSM adjustment (323 pairs), the 5- and 10-year OS rates were 81% and 61%, respectively, in patients who underwent RFA, and 77% and 51%, respectively, for patients who underwent TACE (p = 0.021). Subgroup analyses showed that OS, LTR, and RFS were homogeneously better in the RFA group. Conclusion: RFA was associated with better survival outcomes than TACE in patients with single small HCC and preserved liver function. Clinical relevance statement: This large-scale comparative study provides evidence that radiofrequency ablation has a better overall survival rate than chemoembolization for small (≤ 3 cm) hepatocellular carcinomas. Key Points: • The relative effectiveness of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for early HCC is unclear. • Overall survival rate was significantly higher in the RFA group. • The effects of RFA on overall survival, local tumor recurrence, and recurrence-free survival were homogeneously better in all subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Surgical resection plus intraoperative radiofrequency ablation showed better survival outcomes than transarterial chemoembolization in selected patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma and Child–Pugh class A liver function. These findings suggest that surgical resection plus intraoperative radiofrequency ablation may provide an opportunity for curative treatment to selected patients deemed eligible only for palliative treatment. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of surgical resection (SR) plus intraoperative radiofrequency ablation (IORFA) with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with intermediate-stage HCC and Child–Pugh class A liver function. Treatment-naïve patients who received SR plus IORFA (n = 104) or TACE (n = 513) were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were subjected to a maximum 1:3 propensity score matching (PSM), yielding 95 patients who underwent SR plus IORFA and 252 who underwent TACE. Evaluation of the entire study population showed that progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly better in the SR plus IORFA than in the TACE group. After PSM, the median PFS (18.4 vs. 15.3 months) and OS (88.6 vs. 56.2 months) were significantly longer, and OS rate significantly higher (HR: 0.65, p = 0.026), in the SR plus IORFA group than in the TACE group. Stratified Cox regression analysis and doubly robust estimation revealed that treatment type was significantly associated with both OS and PFS. Rates of major complications were similar in the SR plus IORFA and TACE groups. In conclusion, SR plus IORFA showed better survival outcomes than TACE. SR plus IORFA may provide curative treatment to patients with intermediate-stage HCC with ≤4 tumors and Child–Pugh class A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE Most patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) are not eligible for surgical resection due to advanced stage. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility, local tumor control, and long-term survival of intraoperative radiofrequency ablation (IORFA) with surgical resection to treat unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). METHODS From 2009 to 2016, 20 consecutive patients (12 primary ICC, 8 recurrent ICC) underwent curative IORFA with hepatic resection for surgically unresectable ICC. Patients were not qualified to undergo surgical resection due to multiple lesions causing postoperative hepatic insufficiency and undesirable tumor locations for surgical resection or percutaneous RFA. Of the 51 treated tumors (mean, 2.6±0.9 tumors/patient), 24 were treated by IORFA and 27 were surgically removed. The technical success and effectiveness, overall survival, progression-free survival (PFS), and complications were assessed retrospectively. The overall survival and PFS rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS The technical success and effectiveness of IORFA were 100%. The overall survival rates at 6 months, 1, 3, and 5 years were 95%, 79%, 27%, and 14%, respectively. The median overall survival time was 22.0±3.45 months. The PFS rates at 6 months, 1, 3, and 5 years were 70%, 33%, 13%, and 13%, respectively. The median PFS was 9.0±1.68 months. The prognosis was significantly worse for patients with recurrent ICC than for patients with primary ICC. One patient (5%) had major complications due to IORFA such as liver abscess and biliary stricture. CONCLUSION IORFA with surgical resection can be a feasible option for ICC cases that are not amenable to treatment with surgical resection alone. This strategy provides acceptable local tumor control and overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasingly being detected at a very early‐stage due to the wide implementation of the surveillance of at‐risk patient populations combined with improved imaging technologies. Whether patients with HCC at a very early stage can be offered local ablation as a first‐line treatment option still remains controversial. We retrospectively compared the effectiveness of surgical resection (SR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) very early‐stage HCC in patients with long‐term follow‐up. Methods: Propensity score analysis using inverse probability weighting (IPW) from a large‐volume liver centre. We included adult patients who between 2000 and 2013 received a diagnosis of very early‐stage HCC (BCLC stage 0; a single tumour ≤2 cm, Child‐Pugh A class, eastern cooperative oncology group [ECOG] 0) and who were treated with SR or RFA as the first‐line treatment. Results: We identified 1208 patients, 631 in the SR group and 577 in the RFA group. The median follow‐up time was 86.2 months. After propensity score analysis using IPW, the 15‐year overall survival rates were 60.4% and 51.6% in the SR and RFA group respectively. RFA group showed poorer overall survival than SR group (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.29; P = .0378). The 15‐year recurrence‐free survival rates were 37% and 23.6% in the SR and RFA group respectively (P < .001). Conclusion: For patients with very early‐stage HCC, the SR group was associated with better overall and recurrence‐free patient survival compared to the RFA group. Therefore, SR should be considered as the first‐line treatment for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Despite conservative treatment, hemorrhage from an intrahepatic branch of the portal vein can cause hemodynamic instability requiring urgent intervention. Purpose To retrospectively report the outcomes of hemodynamically significant portal vein bleeding after endovascular management. Material and Methods During a period of 15 years, four patients (2 men, 2 women; median age, 70.5 years) underwent angiography and embolization for iatrogenic portal vein bleeding. Causes of hemorrhage, angiographic findings, endovascular treatment, and complications were reported. Results Portal vein bleeding occurred after percutaneous liver biopsy (n = 2), percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (n = 1), and percutaneous cholecystostomy (n = 1). The median time interval between angiography and percutaneous procedure was 5 h (range, 4-240 h). Common hepatic angiograms including indirect mesenteric portograms showed active portal vein bleeding into the peritoneal cavity with (n = 1) or without (n = 2) an arterioportal (AP) fistula, and portal vein pseudoaneurysm alone with an AP fistula (n = 1). Successful transcatheter arterial embolization (n = 2) or percutaneous transhepatic portal vein embolization (n = 2) was performed. Embolic materials were n-butyl cyanoacrylate alone (n = 2) or in combination with gelatin sponge particles and coils (n = 2). There were no major treatment-related complications or patient mortality within 30 days. Conclusion Patients with symptomatic or life-threatening portal vein bleeding following liver-penetrating procedures can successfully be managed with embolization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]