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. 2014 Nov 19:14:849.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-849.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with radiofrequency ablation delays tumor progression and prolongs overall survival in patients with intermediate (BCLC B) hepatocellular carcinoma

Xin Yin, Lan Zhang, Yan-Hong Wang, Bo-Heng Zhang, Yu-Hong Gan, Ning-Lin Ge, Yi Chen, Li-Xin Li, Zheng-Gang Ren  1
Affiliations

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with radiofrequency ablation delays tumor progression and prolongs overall survival in patients with intermediate (BCLC B) hepatocellular carcinoma

Xin Yin et al. BMC Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation in patients with intermediate (BCLC B) stage hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.

Methods: Included in this study were 211 patients with intermediate stage HCC who underwent initial transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and were potentially amendable for radiofrequency ablation (single tumor with diameter 5-8 cm, median 6.0 cm; 2-5 multiple nodules with diameter less than 5 cm) between January 2005 and December 2011. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 55 patients were treated with following radiofrequency ablation, and the remaining 156 patients were treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization alone. The treatment effectiveness, local tumor control and survival outcome between the two groups were compared.

Results: The complete tumor necrosis rate after treatment was 76.9% in combination group vs. 46.5% in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization alone group (P = 0.02). The major complication rate was 1.8% in combination group vs. 2.6% in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization alone group. Follow-up observation showed that the total tumor control rate was 74.5% in combination group versus 54.5% in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization alone group (P < 0.001). The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates in combination group were significantly higher than those in TACE alone group (P = 0.01).

Conclusions: Radiofrequency ablation following initial transcatheter arterial chemoembolization delays tumor progression and prolongs overall survival of patients with intermediate stage HCC tumors.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Contrast-enhanced CT images obtained in a patient with 6-cm single HCC before TACE treatment. (A-C) show a patient with hepatitis B-induced liver cirrhosis and a 6-cm solitary HCC tumor in the hepatic segment VI. The contrast-enhanced CT scan before TACE revealed arterial enhancement of the HCC lesion.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Radiofrequency ablation after transarterial chemoembolization was performed on the same patient with 6-cm HCC after initial TACE treatment. (A) CT scan after TACE treatment shows lipiodol uptake in the central aspect of the lesion. (B) Contrast-enhanced MRI scan at 4 weeks after RFA shows complete tumor necrosis without arterial enhancement within the lesion. (C) Contrast-enhanced MRI scan at 6 months after combination treatment shows no tumor recurrence in the liver.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Overall survival rate (A) and tumor progression rate (B) of patients in TACE+RFA group and TACE alone group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Pre-publication history
    1. The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/14/849/prepub

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