Role of percutaneous ultrasonographic guided radiofrequency ablation in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma

To evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous ultrasonographic guided radiofrequency thermal ablation in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma. This study included 100 patients presented with HCC showed 110 lesions, 91 lesions in the right lobe and 19 lesions in the left lobe. 86 were males (86%) and 14 were females (14%). All patients were subjected to laboratory investigations and imaging assessment including CT chest, bone scan, abdominal US and Triphasic Multislice Computed Tomography (MSCT) of the abdomen. The Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) systems used were Radiofrequency Interstitial Thermal Ablation (RITA) System and RF 3000 monopolar system. Good ablation was achieved in 92 of 100 (92%) patients treated by RFA after the first session, incomplete necrosis found in 8 of 100 patients (8%). Local recurrence after RFA treatment occurred in 36 of 100 patients (36%). Local recurrence occurred after one month in one of 36 patients (2.8%), after 3 months in 24 of 36 patients (66.7%), after 6 months in 8 of 36 patients (22.2%), after 9 months in 2 of 36 patients (5.5%) and after 12 months in 1 of 36 patients (2.8%). At the end of the first year, the survival of the patients was (97%), at the end of the second year, the survival of the patients was (71.0%). Radiofrequency thermal ablation is a simple, effective and less expensive technique with a low morbidity compared with surgical treatment. Radiofrequency thermal ablation can produce significant long-term survival rates and excellent local control for cirrhotic patients with early stage, unresectable HCC.