Microwave ablation for hepatic malignancies: a call for standard reporting and outcomes

Abstract

Background: Clinical standards of reporting microwave ablation outcomes have not been defined with regard to ablation success, 90-day morbidity, local recurrence after ablation, and nonablation hepatic recurrence. We propose recommendations for microwave ablation reporting and quality standards.

Methods: Literature review of clinical studies focusing on microwave ablation of primary and metastatic hepatic tumors was reported.

Results: Ablation success remains the highest quality reporting standard with variations in nomenclature, but with a universal agreement of complete destruction of the target lesion within 1 month after initial microwave ablation. Local recurrence after ablation remains highly variable, with reports as low as 2.2% to as high as 22%; standards lack a common, clearly defined distance from the initial target ablated lesion and the requirement that the target lesion be defined as an ablation success before it can be called a recurrence. Nonablation hepatic recurrence, nonhepatic recurrence, and 90-day morbidity and mortality remain limited in the current literature.

Conclusions: Standardization of hepatic microwave ablation reporting standards are proposed. Current reporting standards in microwave ablation of hepatic malignancies are suboptimal and lack standardization for comparison across institutions.

Keywords: Microwave ablation; Morbidity; Quality; Recurrence; Reporting standards.