Radiofrequency ablation combined with percutaneous ethanol injection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

The debate between electricity and heat, efficacy and safety of irreversible electroporation and radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of liver cancer: A meta-analysis

Both irreversible electroporation (IRE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are viable ablation methods for localized treatment of liver tumors. We conducted a meta-analysis to access the efficacy and safety of IRE and RFA in liver cancer treatment. Clinical studies on IRE and RFA for the treatment of liver cancer were collected from PubMed and CNKI until June 2023. We screened the literature for ablation success rates at 1 month post-operation, extracting keywords such as "ablation success rate," "technical success rate," "recurrence rate," and "complication" for meta-analysis. A total of 37 articles were included: 24 related to RFA involving 1,685 cases and 13 related to IRE involving 524 cases. The results demonstrate that ablation success rates at post-operative 1 month for IRE and RFA were 86% (95% CI: 82-89%) and 87% (95% CI: 81-92%), respectively. Technical success rates were 96% (95% CI: 88-100%) and 99% (95% CI: 96-100%). In addition, the recurrence rate was 16% (95% CI: 12-22%) in RFA group and 16% (95% CI: 9-23%) in IRE group. In terms of safety, the RFA had a complication rate of 28% (95% CI: 10-50%) and the IRE had a rate of 26% (95% CI: 13-43%). In conclusion, IRE and RFA exhibit similar ablation success rates at 1 month post-operation and comparable complication rates, making them both safe and effective treatment options.

Ablative and non-surgical therapies for early and very early hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background

A wide range of ablative and non-surgical therapies are available for treating small hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with very early or early-stage disease and preserved liver function.

Objective

To review and compare the effectiveness of all current ablative and non-surgical therapies for patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (≤ 3 cm).

Design

Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Data sources

Nine databases (March 2021), two trial registries (April 2021) and reference lists of relevant systematic reviews.

Review methods

Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials of ablative and non-surgical therapies, versus any comparator, for small hepatocellular carcinoma. Randomised controlled trials were quality assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool and mapped. The comparative effectiveness of therapies was assessed using network meta-analysis. A threshold analysis was used to identify which comparisons were sensitive to potential changes in the evidence. Where comparisons based on randomised controlled trial evidence were not robust or no randomised controlled trials were identified, a targeted systematic review of non-randomised, prospective comparative studies provided additional data for repeat network meta-analysis and threshold analysis. The feasibility of undertaking economic modelling was explored. A workshop with patients and clinicians was held to discuss the findings and identify key priorities for future research.

Results

Thirty-seven randomised controlled trials (with over 3700 relevant patients) were included in the review. The majority were conducted in China or Japan and most had a high risk of bias or some risk of bias concerns. The results of the network meta-analysis were uncertain for most comparisons. There was evidence that percutaneous ethanol injection is inferior to radiofrequency ablation for overall survival (hazard ratio 1.45, 95% credible interval 1.16 to 1.82), progression-free survival (hazard ratio 1.36, 95% credible interval 1.11 to 1.67), overall recurrence (relative risk 1.19, 95% credible interval 1.02 to 1.39) and local recurrence (relative risk 1.80, 95% credible interval 1.19 to 2.71). Percutaneous acid injection was also inferior to radiofrequency ablation for progression-free survival (hazard ratio 1.63, 95% credible interval 1.05 to 2.51). Threshold analysis showed that further evidence could plausibly change the result for some comparisons. Fourteen eligible non-randomised studies were identified (n ≥ 2316); twelve had a high risk of bias so were not included in updated network meta-analyses. Additional non-randomised data, made available by a clinical advisor, were also included (n = 303). There remained a high level of uncertainty in treatment rankings after the network meta-analyses were updated. However, the updated analyses suggested that microwave ablation and resection are superior to percutaneous ethanol injection and percutaneous acid injection for some outcomes. Further research on stereotactic ablative radiotherapy was recommended at the workshop, although it is only appropriate for certain patient subgroups, limiting opportunities for adequately powered trials.

Limitations

Many studies were small and of poor quality. No comparative studies were found for some therapies.

Conclusions

The existing evidence base has limitations; the uptake of specific ablative therapies in the United Kingdom appears to be based more on technological advancements and ease of use than strong evidence of clinical effectiveness. However, there is evidence that percutaneous ethanol injection and percutaneous acid injection are inferior to radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation and resection.

Study registration

PROSPERO CRD42020221357.

Funding

This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR131224) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 27, No. 29. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

The effectiveness of ablative and non-surgical therapies for early hepatocellular carcinoma: Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Non-surgical therapies are frequently used for patients with early or very early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of ablative and non-surgical therapies for patients with small HCC.

METHODS

Nine databases were searched (March 2021) along with clinical trial registries. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of any ablative or non-surgical therapy versus any comparator in patients with HCC ≤3 cm were eligible. Risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. The effectiveness of therapies was compared using NMA. Threshold analysis was undertaken to identify which NMA results had less robust evidence.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven eligible RCTs were included (including over 3700 patients). Most were from China (n = 17) or Japan (n = 7). Sample sizes ranged from 30 to 308 patients. The majority had a high RoB or some RoB concerns. No RCTs were identified for some therapies and no RCTs reported quality of life outcomes. The results of the NMA and treatment effectiveness rankings were very uncertain. However, the evidence demonstrated that percutaneous ethanol injection was worse than radiofrequency ablation for overall survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.45, 95% credible interval [CrI]: 1.16-1.82), progression-free survival (HR: 1.36, 95% CrI: 1.11-1.67), overall recurrence (relative risk [RR]: 1.19, 95% CrI: 1.02-1.39) and local recurrence (RR: 1.80, 95% CrI: 1.19-2.71). The threshold analysis suggested that robust evidence was lacking for some comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS

It is unclear which treatment is most effective for patients with small HCC because of limitations in the evidence base. It is also not known how these treatments would impact on quality of life. Further high quality RCTs are needed to provide robust evidence but may be difficult to undertake.

Combination of radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous ethanol injection versus radiofrequency ablation alone for hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous ethanol injection are important treatment modalities for hepatocellular carcinoma patients; Whether a combination treatment yields, additional benefit still remains controversial.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis was concluded. Randomized controlled trials published before January 1, 2022, from PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and CNKI were searched. Studies were excluded when patients received different ablative treatment or had serious liver dysfunction. The risk of bias assessment was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool.

RESULTS

Ten studies, encompassing 854 patients, with histologically proven HCC were finally analyzed. The results demonstrated that patients who received RFA-PEI had slightly improvements in 1-year overall survival (OS) [risk ratio (RR): 1.11; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03, 1.19, I2 = 10%], 2-year OS (RR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.40, I2 = 0%), 3-year OS (RR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.83, I2 = 38%), 1-year local recurrence-free (LRF) proportion (RR: 1.2; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.42, I2 = 61%), and complete tumor necrosis (CTN) (RR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.53, I2 = 45%). Nevertheless, common complications, such as fever, were found to be significant (RR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.13, 2.80).

CONCLUSION

Despite RFA-PEI appearing to be superior for HCC patients with a compensated liver in terms of OS, current evidence contained moderate to significant heterogeneity, and it was difficult to draw a definite conclusion regarding the therapeutic management in terms of LRF and CTN.

Suppression of Local Tumor Progression in Perivascular Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Combination Therapy with Radiofrequency Ablation and Percutaneous Ethanol Injection: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Background and Aims Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has replaced percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) as the treatment of choice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, control of local tumor progression (LTP) remains a challenge in perivascular HCC. The aim of this study is to determine whether PEI added to RFA can reduce the LTP rate in perivascular HCC patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 167 patients, with 197 newly diagnosed HCC nodules with peritumoral vessels, who underwent either RFA plus PEI or RFA monotherapy as the first-line treatment between June 2001 and April 2015. Ethanol was injected inside the tumor close to the peritumoral vessels in the combination therapy group. Patients were matched 1:1 according to their propensity scores to reduce selection bias; cumulative LTP was then analyzed using log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazard regression analyses. Results The two matched groups comprised 62 tumors each. The overall median follow-up period was 34 months (range, 1-140 months). In the RFA plus PEI group, the cumulative LTP rates were 5.7%, 15.5%, and 20.4% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively; in the RFA monotherapy group, the rates were 13.2%, 32.0%, and 40.2%, respectively. The rates were significantly lower in the RFA plus PEI group (P = 0.032). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that PEI combination treatment was significantly associated with a reduced risk of local HCC recurrence (hazard ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.19-0.93; P = 0.031). Discussion/Conclusion The risk of LTP after RFA for perivascular HCC can be significantly reduced by injecting ethanol close to the peritumoral vessels.

Advances in locoregional therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma combined with immunotherapy and targeted therapy

Locoregional therapies (LRTs) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represented by ablation and TACE has become the main means for the clinical treatment of unresectable HCC. Among these, TACE is used throughout the stage Ib to IIIb of HCC treatment. In recent years, immunotherapy led by immune checkpoint inhibitors has become a hot direction in clinical research. At the same time, targeted drugs such as Sorafenib and Apatinib have played an important role in the treatment and complementary therapy of advanced HCC, and their clinical application has been quite mature. HCC is the sixth most common malignant tumor in the world. When it comes to its treatment, different therapies have different indications, and their individual efficacies are not satisfactory, which makes the exploration of the use of combination therapy in HCC treatment become a new trend. In this paper, the status of the three therapies and the progress of their combined application are briefly reviewed.

Treatment strategies for early stage hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials

BACKGROUND

Several treatment strategies for early stage hepatocellular cancers (HCC) have been evaluated in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to explore the relative effectiveness of these different approaches on their impact on overall (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted to identify RCT's reported up to 23rd January 2020. Indirect comparisons of all regimens were simultaneously compared using random-effects NMA.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight RCT's, involving 3,618 patients, reporting 13 different treatment strategies for early stage HCC were identified. Median follow-up, reported in 22 studies, ranged from 12-93 months. In this NMA, RFA in combination with iodine-125 was ranked first for both RFS (HR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.19-1.31) and OS (HR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19-0.94). In subgroup with solitary HCC, lack of studies reporting RFS precluded reliable analysis. However, RFA in combination with iodine-125 was associated with markedly better OS (HR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.05-0.93).

CONCLUSION

This NMA identified RFA in combination with iodine-125 as a treatment delivering better RFS and OS, in patients with early stage HCC, especially for those with solitary HCC. This technique warrants further evaluation in both Asia and Western regions.

The Islanding effect - a special method of percutaneous peritumor ethanol injection for hepatocellular carcinoma: 15-year follow-up outcome

Percutaneous ethanol injection is a well-known ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma and is well-tolerated, inexpensive, and effective with few adverse events. In this study, another type of ethanol injection was introduced in the present study.Sixty two patients with hepatocellular carcinoma received 133 percutaneous peritumor ethanol injection treatments and the 15-year follow-up outcomes were analyzed through a collected database.The technical efficiency was 89.5% (119/133 treatments) after the first percutaneous peritumor ethanol injection procedure. However, after the second repeated percutaneous peritumor ethanol injection procedure, technical efficiency increased to 98.5% (131/133 treatments). The 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, and 15 years rates of tumor recurrence were 12.9%, 50.0%, 59.7%, 74.2%, and 74.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that diabetes, Child-Pugh class B, and tumor size greater than 2 cm were significantly related to tumor recurrence. The 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, and 15 years rates of overall survival were 98.4%, 83.6%, 61.3%, 19.4%, and 0%, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that Child-Pugh class B, tumor size greater than 2 cm, and multiple tumors were significantly related to overall survival.Compared with other ablation methods (including peritumor ethanol injection), percutaneous peritumor ethanol injection can avoid tumor ruptures, reduce tumor proliferation and metastasis, and is suitable for the treatment of small tumors. In addition, when combined with other treatment methods, percutaneous peritumor ethanol injection can form a tumor metastatic isolation zone in advance and improve the comprehensive treatment effect.

Defeating Cancers' Adaptive Defensive Strategies Using Thermal Therapies: Examining Cancer's Therapeutic Resistance, Ablative, and Computational Modeling Strategies as a means for Improving Therapeutic Outcome

BACKGROUND

Diverse thermal ablative therapies are currently in use for the treatment of cancer. Commonly applied with the intent to cure, these ablative therapies are providing promising success rates similar to and often exceeding "gold standard" approaches. Cancer-curing prospects may be enhanced by deeper understanding of thermal effects on cancer cells and the hosting tissue, including the molecular mechanisms of cancer cell mutations, which enable resistance to therapy. Furthermore, thermal ablative therapies may benefit from recent developments in computer hardware and computation tools for planning, monitoring, visualization, and education.

METHODS

Recent discoveries in cancer cell resistance to destruction by apoptosis, autophagy, and necrosis are now providing an understanding of the strategies used by cancer cells to avoid destruction by immunologic surveillance. Further, these discoveries are now providing insight into the success of the diverse types of ablative therapies utilized in the clinical arena today and into how they directly and indirectly overcome many of the cancers' defensive strategies. Additionally, the manner in which minimally invasive thermal therapy is enabled by imaging, which facilitates anatomical features reconstruction, insertion guidance of thermal probes, and strategic placement of thermal sensors, plays a critical role in the delivery of effective ablative treatment.

RESULTS

The thermal techniques discussed include radiofrequency, microwave, high-intensity focused ultrasound, laser, and cryosurgery. Also discussed is the development of thermal adjunctive therapies-the combination of drug and thermal treatments-which provide new and more effective combinatorial physical and molecular-based approaches for treating various cancers. Finally, advanced computational and planning tools are also discussed.

CONCLUSION

This review lays out the various molecular adaptive mechanisms-the hallmarks of cancer-responsible for therapeutic resistance, on one hand, and how various ablative therapies, including both heating- and freezing-based strategies, overcome many of cancer's defenses, on the other hand, thereby enhancing the potential for curative approaches for various cancers.

A network meta-analysis on the efficacy and prognosis of different interventional therapies for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma

PURPOSE

It is unclear which kind of interventional therapies is the best when treating early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We conducted Bayesian network meta-analyses to compare local tumor progression (LTP), total tumor recurrence and survival rates and to rank the best intervention arm.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search of Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane library and Clinicaltrials.gov was conducted and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the outcomes of interventional therapies on early-stage HCC were enrolled. The quality assessment was conducted using Cochrane Collaboration's tool, while the outcome synthesis of the network meta-analysis was conducted using R-3.3.4 software.

RESULTS

A total of 35 RCTs were enrolled for further analysis. Using network meta-analysis, it was demonstrated that radiofrequency ablation (RFA) plus adjuvant therapies achieved the best performance in decreasing the LTP rate in early-stage HCC, while hepatic resection ranked as the best arm among all the interventional techniques for LTP at 3 years. Meanwhile, hepatic resection and RFA plus adjuvant therapies were the top two best arms in decreasing total recurrence. Furthermore, RFA plus adjuvant therapeutics ranked the best in achieving overall survival outcome, followed by hepatic resection. For disease-free survival, hepatic resection was the best, while for LTP-free survival, the difference among the included treatments was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Our network meta-analysis showed that RFA-based adjuvant therapies might be the most effective interventions in achieving the best outcomes, while hepatic resection exhibited the best performance in several situations in treating early-stage HCC. More RCTs are needed to draw more solid conclusions.

Comparative efficacy of treatment strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma: systematic review and network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide. We conducted network meta-regression within a Bayesian framework to compare and rank different treatment strategies for HCC through direct and indirect evidence from international studies.

METHODS AND ANALYSES

We pooled the OR for 1-year, 3-year and 5-year overall survival, based on lesions of size ˂ 3 cm, 3-5 cm and ≤5 cm, using five therapeutic options including resection (RES), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) plus RFA (TR) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI).

RESULTS

We identified 74 studies, including 26 944 patients. After adjustment for study design, and in the full sample of studies, the treatments were ranked in order of greatest to least benefit as follows for 5 year survival: (1) RES, (2) TR, (3) RFA, (4) MWA and (5) PEI. The ranks were similar for 1- and 3-year survival, with RES and TR being the highest ranking treatments. In both smaller (<3 cm) and larger tumours (3-5 cm), RES and TR were also the two highest ranking treatments. There was little evidence of inconsistency between direct and indirect evidence.

CONCLUSION

The comparison of different treatment strategies for HCC indicated that RES is associated with longer survival. However, many of the between-treatment comparisons were not statistically significant and, for now, selection of strategies for treatment will depend on patient and disease characteristics. Additionally, much of the evidence was provided by non-randomised studies and knowledge gaps still exist. More head-to-head comparisons between both RES and TR, or other approaches, will be necessary to confirm these findings.

Comparison of radiofrequency ablation alone & in combination with percutaneous ethanol injection for management of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background & objective:

It has been shown that the combined use of alcohol before radiofrequency ablation (RFA) helps to augment the therapeutic advantage of RFA. The present study was conducted to compare the outcome of treatment with RFA alone and RFA with alcohol as ablative technique in patients with small hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), who were not candidates for surgery.

Methods:

Fifty patients with chronic liver disease and concurrent HCC were enrolled in this prospective study. The patients were treated with either RFA alone (n=25) or RFA combined with alcohol (n=25). Patient outcome was evaluated, and the tumour recurrence and survival of the patients were assessed in the two groups.

Results:

The survival rates at six months in patients who completed at least six months of follow up were 84 and 80 per cent in patients treated with RFA alone and combination therapy, respectively. During the follow up period, 11 and four patients treated with RFA alone showed local and distant intrahepatic tumour recurrence, respectively. All local recurrences were at one to 18 months of the follow up period. The distant recurrences occurred at 6-36 months of the follow up period. During the follow up period, eight and six patients treated with combination therapy showed local and distant intrahepatic tumour recurrence, respectively. All local recurrences were at 1.5-15 months during the follow up period. The distant intrahepatic recurrences occurred at 6-72 months during the follow up period.

Interpretation & conclusions:

No significant difference was seen between the survival time of the patients treated with RFA alone and RFA with alcohol as well as in the local recurrences and distant intrahepatic recurrences in RFA compared to RFA and alcohol group patients. Combined use of RFA and alcohol did not improve the local tumour control and survival in patients with HCC compared to RFA alone.

Effects of radiofrequency ablation versus other ablating techniques on hepatocellular carcinomas: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Percutaneous ablation has quickly arisen as one of the important alternative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to compare the therapeutic effects of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and other ablative techniques on HCCs.

Methods

Databases were searched to identify literature on complete tumor ablation (CTA), overall survival (OS), local tumor recurrence (LTR), and complications of RFA in the treatment of HCC, compared with those of microwave ablation (MWA), percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI), PEI plus RFA, cryoablation (CRA), laser ablation (LSA), and high-intensity focused ultrasound. Randomized controlled trials and high-quality cohort studies were included in the assessment.

Results

The effects of MWA and CRA appeared to be similar to those of RFA, but lower rates of LTR and higher rates of CTA in large tumors compared with RFA were reported (P < 0.05). CTA rates were lower in patients treated with PEI (odds ratio [OR] 0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06–0.42), and higher in those treated with PEI plus RFA (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.19–3.60), with an increased incidence of fever (P < 0.05). LSA resulted in lower CTA rates (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.13–0.81) and OS (hazard ratio 1.47, 95% CI 1.01–2.15), with a lower incidence of complications.

Conclusions

Compared with RFA, identical effects were found in MWA and CRA groups. Fewer complications were observed in PEI and LSA group. PEI plus RFA appeared more effective, with a higher rate of complications. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are further needed to confirm above results.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: early-stage management challenges

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer death and is increasing in incidence. This review focuses on HCC surveillance and treatment of early-stage disease, which are essential to improving outcomes. Multiple societies have published HCC surveillance guidelines, but screening efforts have been limited by noncompliance and overall lack of testing for patients with undiagnosed chronic liver disease. Treatment of early-stage HCC has become increasingly complex due to expanding therapeutic options and better outcomes with established treatments. Surgical indications for HCC have broadened with improved preoperative liver testing, neoadjuvant therapy, portal vein embolization, and perioperative care. Advances in post-procedural monitoring have improved efficacies of transarterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation, and novel therapies involving delivery of radiochemicals are being studied in small trials. Finally, advances in liver transplantation have allowed for expanded indications beyond Milan criteria with non-inferior outcomes. More clinical trials evaluating new therapies and multimodal regimens are necessary to help clinicians design better treatment algorithms and improve outcomes.

Management of people with early- or very early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: an attempted network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer) is classified in many ways. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) group staging classifies the cancer based on patient's life expectancy. People with very early- or early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma have single tumour or three tumours of maximum diameter of 3 cm or less, Child-Pugh status A to B, and performance status 0 (fully functional). Management of hepatocellular carcinoma is uncertain.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the comparative benefits and harms of different interventions used in the treatment of early or very early hepatocellular carcinoma through a network meta-analysis and to generate rankings of the available interventions according to their safety and efficacy. However, it was not possible to assess whether the potential effect modifiers were similar across different comparisons. Therefore, we did not perform the network meta-analysis and instead assessed the benefits and harms of different interventions versus each other or versus sham or no intervention using standard Cochrane methodology.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, Science Citation Index Expanded, and trials registers to September 2016 to identify randomised clinical trials (RCTs) on hepatocellular carcinoma.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included only RCTs, irrespective of language, blinding, or publication status, in participants with very early- or early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma, irrespective of the presence of cirrhosis, portal hypertension, aetiology of hepatocellular carcinoma, size and number of the tumours, and future remnant liver volume. We excluded trials including participants who were previously liver transplanted. We considered interventions compared with each other, sham, or no intervention.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We calculated the odds ratio, mean difference, rate ratio, or hazard ratio with 95% confidence intervals using both fixed-effect and random-effects models based on available-participant analysis with Review Manager 5. We assessed the risk of bias according to Cochrane, controlled risk of random errors with Trial Sequential Analysis using Stata, and the quality of the evidence using GRADE.

MAIN RESULTS

Eighteen trials met the inclusion criteria for this review. Four trials (593 participants; 574 participants included for one or more analyses) compared surgery versus radiofrequency ablation in people with early hepatocellular carcinoma, eligible to undergo surgery. Fourteen trials (2533 participants; 2494 participants included for various analyses) compared different non-surgical interventions in people with early hepatocellular carcinoma, not eligible to undergo surgery. Overall, the quality of evidence was low or very low for all outcomes for both comparisons. Surgery versus radiofrequency ablationThe majority of participants had cirrhotic livers, and the hepatocellular carcinoma was of viral aetiology. The trials did not report the participants' portal hypertension status or whether they received adjuvant antiviral treatment or adjuvant immunotherapy. The average follow-up ranged from 29 months to 42 months (3 trials).There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up for surgery versus radiofrequency ablation (hazard ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60 to 1.08; 574 participants; 4 trials; I² = 68). Cancer-related mortality was lower in the surgery group (20/115 (17.4%)) than in the radiofrequency ablation group (43/115 (37.4%)) (odds ratio 0.35, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.65; 230 participants; 1 trial). Serious adverse events (number of participants) was higher in the surgery group (14/60 (23.3%)) than in the radiofrequency ablation group (1/60 (1.7%)) (odds ratio 17.96, 95% CI 2.28 to 141.60; 120 participants; 1 trial). The number of serious adverse events was higher in the surgery group (adjusted rate 11.3 events per 100 participants) than in the radiofrequency ablation group (3/186 (1.6 events per 100 participants)) (rate ratio 7.02, 95% CI 2.29 to 21.46; 391 participants; 2 trials; I² = 0%). None of the trials reported health-related quality of life. One trial was funded by a party with vested interests; three trials were funded by parties without any vested. Non-surgical interventionsThe majority of participants had cirrhotic livers, and the hepatocellular carcinoma was of viral aetiology. Most trials did not report the portal hypertension status of the participants, and none of the trials reported whether the participants received adjuvant antiviral treatment or adjuvant immunotherapy. The average follow-up ranged from 6 months to 37 months (11 trials). Trial participants, who were not eligible for surgery, were treated with radiofrequency ablation, laser ablation, microwave ablation, percutaneous acetic acid injection, percutaneous alcohol injection, a combination of radiofrequency ablation with systemic chemotherapy, a combination of radiofrequency ablation with percutaneous alcohol injection, a combination of transarterial chemoembolisation with percutaneous alcohol injection, or a combination of transarterial chemoembolisation with radiofrequency ablation.The mortality at maximal follow-up was higher in the percutaneous acetic acid injection (hazard ratio 1.77, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.79; 125 participants; 1 trial) and percutaneous alcohol injection (hazard ratio 1.49, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.88; 882 participants; 5 trials; I² = 57%) groups compared with the radiofrequency ablation group. There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up for any of the other comparisons. The proportion of people with cancer-related mortality at maximal follow-up was higher in the percutaneous alcohol injection group (adjusted proportion 16.8%) compared with the radiofrequency ablation group (20/232 (8.6%)) (odds ratio 2.18, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.89; 458 participants; 3 trials; I² = 0%). There was no evidence of a difference in any of the comparisons that reported serious adverse events (number of participants or number of events). None of the trials reported health-related quality of life. Five trials were funded by parties without any vested interest; the source of funding was not available in the remaining trials.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The evidence was of low or very low quality. There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up between surgery and radiofrequency ablation in people eligible for surgery. All-cause mortality at maximal follow-up was higher with percutaneous acetic acid injection and percutaneous alcohol injection than with radiofrequency ablation in people not eligible for surgery. There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up for the other comparisons. High-quality RCTs designed to assess clinically important differences in all-cause mortality and health-related quality of life, and having an adequate follow-up period (approximately five years) are needed.

Efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided interventional treatment for refractory malignant left-sided liver tumors: a case series of 26 patients

This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of EUS-guided ethanol injection and ¹²⁵I seed brachytherapy for malignant left-sided liver tumors which were difficult for trans-abdominal intervention. The study protocol was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02816944). Twenty-six patients were consecutively and prospectively hospitalized for EUS-guided interventional treatment of refractory malignant left-sided liver tumors between June 2014 and June 2016. Liver masses were detected using EUS in 25 of 26 (96.2%) patients. EUS-guided interventional treatment was completed uneventfully in 23 of 26 (88.5%) patients using anhydrous ethanol injection (n = 10) or iodine-125 seed implantation (n = 13). Six months later, complete response was achieved in 15 of 23 (65.2%) patients and partial response in 8 of 23 (34.8%) patients. Patients with tumor residual have second-look EUS-guided interventional treatment (n = 5), radiotherapy (n = 2) or surgical resection (n = 1). Complete response was achieved after repeated interventional treatment in 3 of 5 patients who underwent second EUS-guided intervention; 2 patients required additional surgical resection but one succeed. No significant complications occurred. Therefore EUS-guided ¹²⁵I seed brachytherapy is an effective and safe treatment modality for radical operation or promising palliative control of malignant left-sided liver tumors refractory to trans-abdominal intervention.

Local ablative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma: An updated review

Ablative treatments currently represent the first-line option for the treatment of early stage unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Furthermore, they are effective as bridging/downstaging therapies before orthotopic liver transplantation. Contraindications based on size, number, and location of nodules are quite variable in literature and strictly dependent on local expertise. Among ablative therapies, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has gained a pivotal role due to its efficacy, with a reported 5-year survival rate of 40%-70%, and safety. Although survival outcomes are similar to percutaneous ethanol injection, the lower local recurrence rate stands for a wider application of RFA in hepato-oncology. Moreover, RFA seems to be even more cost-effective than liver resection for very early HCC (single nodule ≤ 2 cm) and in the presence of two or three nodules ≤ 3 cm. There is increasing evidence that combining RFA to transarterial chemoembolization may increase the therapeutic benefit in larger HCCs without increasing the major complication rate, but more robust prospective data is still needed to validate these pivotal findings. Among other thermal treatments, microwave ablation (MWA) uses high frequency electromagnetic energy to induce tissue death via coagulation necrosis. In comparison to RFA, MWA has several theoretical advantages such as a broader zone of active heating, higher temperatures within the targeted area in a shorter treatment time and the lack of heat-sink effect. The safety concerns raised on the risks of this procedure, due to the broader and less predictable necrosis areas, have been recently overcome. However, whether MWA ability to generate a larger ablation zone will translate into a survival gain remains unknown. Other treatments, such as high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation, laser ablation, and cryoablation, are less investigated but showed promising results in early HCC patients and could be a valuable therapeutic option in the next future.

Hepatocellular carcinoma ≤ 4 cm treated with radiofrequency ablation with or without percutaneous ethanol injection

BACKGROUND

To compare the survival of Chinese cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤ 4 cm who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) alone or a combination of RFA with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis was performed for 681 cases with HCC ≤ 4 cm who were treated with RFA alone or RFA combined with PEI (RFA + PEI) between 2004 and 2011.

RESULTS

As a result, 180 patients in each group were selected after propensity score matching (PSM). Higher overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were achieved by RFA + PEI compared with RFA alone (P = 0.019 and 0.009, respectively). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative OS rates were 78.0, 44.4, and 30.1% for patients in RFA group and 88.2, 58.0, and 41.1% for patients in RFA + PEI group, respectively. Besides, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative RFS rates were 77.0, 43.8, and 29.2% in RFA group, and 87.9, 57.6, and 38.4% in RFA + PEI group, respectively. The local recurrence, complete ablation and five-year mortality showed no distinct differences between RFA and RFA + PEI groups in three subgroups classified with tumor size. Moreover, Cox regression multivariate analysis results showed that sex and treatment approach were significantly related to OS, whereas sex, status of HBsAg, local recurrence, and number of tumor nodule were related to RFS.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, the combination of RFA and PEI yielded better OS and RFS rates than RFA alone for Chinese patients with HCC ≤ 4 cm.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Liver Abscess After Thermal Ablation of Liver Neoplasm

BACKGROUND

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) are the most frequently used thermal ablation methods for the treatment of liver cancer. Liver abscess is a common and severe complication of thermal ablation treatment.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors of liver abscess formation after thermal ablation of liver cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The clinical data of 423 patients who underwent 691 thermal ablation procedures for liver cancer were collected in order to retrospectively analyze the basic characteristics, incidence, and risk factors associated with liver abscess formation. Patients with multiple risk factors for liver abscess formation were enrolled in a risk factor group, and patients with no risk factors were enrolled in a control group. The chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between the occurrence of liver abscesses and potential risk factors.

RESULTS

Two hundred and eight patients underwent 385 RFA procedures, and 185 patients underwent 306 MWA procedures. The total incidence of liver abscesses was 1.7%, while the rates in the RFA group (1.8%) and MWA groups (1.6%) were similar (P > 0.05). The rates of liver abscesses in patients who had child-pugh class B and class C cirrhosis (P = 0.0486), biliary tract disease (P = 0.0305), diabetes mellitus (P = 0.0344), and porta hepatis tumors (P = 0.0123) were 4.0%, 6.7%, 6.5%, and 13.0%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between these four groups and the control group (all P < 0.05). The incidence of liver abscesses in the combined ablation and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) group (P = 0.0026) was significantly lower than that of the ablation group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of liver abscesses after liver cancer thermal ablation is low. Child-Pugh Class B and Class C cirrhosis, biliary tract disease, diabetes mellitus, and porta hepatis tumors are four significant risk factors. Combined ablation and PEI reduces the rate of liver abscesses.

Radiofrequency ablation-combined multimodel therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma: Current status

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is widely accepted as a first-line interventional oncology approach for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and has the advantages of high treatment efficacy and low complication risk. Local control rates equivalent to hepatic resection can be reached by RFA alone when treating small HCCs (<2 cm) in favorable locations. However, local tumor progression and recurrence rates with RFA monotherapy increase sharply when treating larger lesions (>3 cm). To address this clinical problem, recent efforts have focused on multimodel management of HCC by combining RFA with different techniques, including percutaneous ethanol injection, transarterial chemo-embolization, targeted molecular therapy, nanoparticle-mediated therapy, and immunotherapy. The combination strategy indeed leads to better outcomes in comparison to RFA alone. In this article, we review the current status of RFA-combined multimodal therapies in the management of HCC.

Radiofrequency ablation versus percutaneous ethanol injection for hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) are treatment methods for patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are not suitable for surgery. Although some reports indicate that RFA is better than PEI, results from previous reviews and analyses are inconsistent. Therefore, this meta-analysis was performed to more thoroughly evaluate the effects of these treatments in patients with HCC.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using the Excerpta Medica dataBASE, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the American Society of Clinical Oncology database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, the Wanfang database, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and the Chongqing VIP database without language limitations. The primary outcome evaluated was overall survival, and secondary outcomes included complete response and local recurrence. Comparisons were made between Asian and European studies.

RESULTS

Total pooled and subgroup analyses of Asian studies that included selection biases revealed that RFA is superior to PEI with respect to overall survival (hazard ratio (HR), 0.54; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.37 to 0.80; P < 0.01) and complete response (relative risk (RR), 1.10; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.18; P < 0.01). However, no significant difference was observed between RFA and PEI in the European studies. In Asian studies, RFA was associated with a lower local recurrence rate than PEI at 1 year (RR, 0.44; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.95; P < 0.05) and 3 years (RR, 0.35; 95% CI 0.22 to 0.55; P < 0.01). However, local recurrence was significantly lower after only 3 years in European studies (RR, 0.50; 95% CI 0.32 to 0.78; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

RFA was only superior to PEI in Asian studies that included selection bias. Thus, there is insufficient evidence to support the idea that RFA is superior to PEI for patients with cirrhotic HCC. Additional large-scale, multicenter, randomized controlled trials that control for selection bias are needed to fully elucidate the optimal treatment method for HCC.

Chemical ablation therapy of recurrent mediastinal nodal metastasis in post-radiotherapy cancer patients

The aim of our study was to evaluate the treatment of post-radiotherapy recurrent mediastinal nodal metastasis. Post-radiotherapy esophageal cancer patients with mediastinal lymph node recurrence were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomized into the radiation (±chemotherapy) or the chemoablation group. Patients randomized to the chemoradiotherapy group received additional radiotherapy, second-line chemotherapy, or both. Patients randomized to the chemoablation group received CT-guided percutaneous chemical ablation. Clinical remission was assessed at 1 month by contrast CT. Reirradiation dose ranged from 2,200 to 3,600 cGy depending on dose-limiting constraints in consideration of prior radiotherapy dose. The RECIST criteria were used in the evaluation of response to therapy. The median length of follow-up is 6 months. Thirty-one patients were enrolled in the study. In the chemoradiation group, all patients underwent CT imaging at 1-month follow-up. Among these patients, seven had progressive disease, five had stable disease (SD), and four had partial response (PR). The 6-month survival rate was 12.5%. In the chemoablation group at 1-month follow-up, 12 patients had SD and three patients had PR, and the 6-month survival rate was 46.6%. Our results suggest that chemoablation therapy as salvage treatment after post-radiotherapy relapse is efficacious and safe.

Systematic review of radiofrequency ablation versus percutaneous ethanol injection for small hepatocellular carcinoma up to 3 cm

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) have been used for patients with hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) < 3 cm, but there is controversy which of the two methods is superior. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review to assess survival, complete tumor necrosis, recurrence and metastasis, major complications, costs, hospital stays, and posttreatment survival quality of RFA versus PEI for treating small HCCs < 3 cm.

METHODS

We conducted a search for published articles in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library until March 2012. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-randomized clinical trials were included.

RESULTS

Four RCTs with 766 patients were included in this review. We found that RFA is significantly better than PEI with respect to a 3-year overall survival for small HCCs (RFA vs PEI, hazard ratios [HR] = 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.48-0.90, P = 0.009), especially for HCCs > 2 cm (HR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.31-0.99, P = 0.045). RFA had a lower risk of local recurrence (HR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.15-0.96, P = 0.040), but no difference is seen for distant intrahepatic recurrence. RFA had higher rates of complete tumor necrosis, but RFA also caused more major complications and was more costly than PEI. Begg's and Egger's tests detected no significant publication bias among the four RCTs.

CONCLUSIONS

RFA appears superior to PEI with respect to local tumor control and 3-year survival for small HCCs < 3 cm. RFA was more feasible in patients with HCCs > 2 cm or Child-Pugh A liver function.