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Cryoablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with High-Risk for Percutaneous Ablation: Safety and Efficacy

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of cryoablation in the treatment of subcapsular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) adjacent to various organs.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-eight patients with subcapsular HCC were treated with cryoablation in our institution. The degree of peri-procedural pain was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). Technical success, local tumor progression, and overall disease progression rates were calculated. Procedure-related complications were identified by reviewing electronic medical records. Biochemical data, including serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total bilirubin levels before and after the procedure were collected.

Results

Subcapsular HCC tumors were located near the gallbladder, colon, stomach, kidney, diaphragm, or abdominal wall. The technical success rate of cryoablation was 96.4 % (27/28). Local recurrence- and progression-free survival rates were 96 and 84 % at 6 months, and 82 and 43 % at 1 year, respectively. All patients survived during the follow-up period. The VAS pain score ranged from 0 to 3 (mean, 1.57). A major complication occurred in one patient (3.6 %) and minor complications occurred at a rate of 17.9 %. Transient elevations of serum AST, ALT, and bilirubin levels were observed.

Conclusion

Cryoablation is a safe and an effective procedure for the treatment of subcapsular HCC adjacent to various major organs.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from Toshiba Medical Systems Korea (4-2015-0638).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiological Science, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea

    Gyoung Min Kim, Jong Yun Won, Man Deuk Kim, Sung Il Park, Do Yun Lee, Wonseon Shin & Minwoo Shin

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Kwang-Hyub Han, Do Young Kim & Seung Up Kim

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  1. Gyoung Min Kim
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Correspondence to Jong Yun Won.

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Conflict of interest

Authors (Gyoung Min Kim, Jong Yun Won, Man Deuk Kim, Sung Il Park, Do Yun Lee, Wonseon Shin, Minwoo Shin, Kwang-Hyub Han, Do Young Kim, Seung Up Kim) declare that there is no conflict of interests.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

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Kim, G.M., Won, J.Y., Kim, M.D. et al. Cryoablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with High-Risk for Percutaneous Ablation: Safety and Efficacy. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 39, 1447–1454 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-016-1384-4

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