State of the ablation nation: a review of ablative therapies for cure in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Primary liver cancer, mainly hepatocellular carcinoma, is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Surgical management, either resection or transplantation, is considered definitive treatment, however, less than 20% of patients are ultimately candidates. Thermal ablation modalities such as radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation have evolved such that these modalities have been applied with curative intent. Moreover, thermal ablation has demonstrated efficacy in treating early-stage tumors and can be offered as first-line treatment in patients with uncomplicated disease. Attributing to refinements in technology and techniques, recent studies evaluating stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy have shown promising results, while irreversible electroporation, an emerging modality, may further expand the role of ablative therapy in treating potentially resectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma; irreversible electroporation; microwave ablation (MWA); primary liver tumor; radiofrequency ablation (RFA); stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy; stereotactic body radiotherapy.