Radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma - analysis of the clinical outcome

Introduction/Objective. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment modality for primary and metastatic liver tumors. It can be performed percutaneously or as a laparoscopic or open surgical procedure under ultrasound or computerized tomography guidance. The objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of the initial 16 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) managed by percutaneous RFA at a tertiary institution and to assess the efficacy of this procedure in the management of selected patients with HCC. Method. From June 2011 until December 2013, 16 patients with early-stage HCC were managed by percutaneous radiofrequency ablation at the Clinic for Digestive Surgery, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade. All the patients were treated by the same team composed of an interventional radiologist and a liver surgeon. We analyzed the clinical outcome and the biologic effect of this treatment by comparing the pre- and post-treatment levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Results. Post-treatment values of liver transaminase levels returned to the pre-treatment values from Day 3. Post-treatment hospital stay was two days. Post-procedural complications included mild pain in all patients, skin necrosis at the site of the electrode puncture in five patients, and transient hepatic decompensation in one patient. In all the patients the AFP level correlated with the findings of liver imaging (ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance imaging with liver-specific contrast agent) indicating viability of the treated tumor. Conclusion. RFA is a feasible and effective procedure providing favorable clinical outcome in patients with early-stage HCC