Ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol injection in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma combined with portal vein tumor thrombosis

Objective To assess the clinical value of ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol injection(PEI) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) combined with portal vein tumor thrombosis(PVTT).Methods Ninety HCC patients with different type PVTT underwent ultrasound-guided PEI once or twice a week.The follow-up lasted 12 to 60 months,and the 1-,2-,3-,4-and 5-year survival rates were calculated.Results The median survival time of HCC combined with PVTT patients treated with PEI was 12 months,and the 1-,2-,3-,4-and 5-year survival rates was 52.22%,23.33%,15.56%,12.22% and 10.00%,respectively.The survival rate correlated significantly to the type of PVTT.The lower the type of PVTT was,the longer the patients lived.Conclusion Ultrasound-guided PEI is a safe and effective method for the treatment of HCC combined with PVTT,and can prolong the survival time of HCC patients with low type PVTT.