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Clinical evaluation of percutaneous endovascular radiofrequency ablation for portal vein tumor thrombus: experience in 120 patients

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Abstract

Background

Portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) secondary to primary liver carcinoma (PLC) is commonly associated with poor prognosis and poses great challenge. This study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous endovascular radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treatment of PVTT.

Methods

Consecutive patients who were performed endovascular RFA because of PVTT in single-institution in recent 8 years were retrospectively reviewed, compared with patients who underwent only sequential transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) during the contemporary period. Patency of portal vein, complications, and overall survival (OS) were investigated.

Results

One hundred and 20 patients who underwent endovascular RFA and 96 patients who underwent only sequential TACE were included. No severe complications happened in both groups. Except the higher rates of severe fever and moderate pain in the study group, no difference was found in the incidence of side effects and complications. The effective rate in the study group was (78.3%, 94/120) significantly higher than the comparison group (35.4%, 34/96). The median survival time and 1–3 years cumulative survival rates in the study group were 15.7 months and 42.5%, 21.7%, 2.5%, respectively, and 11.3 months, 21.9%, 9.4%, 0 correspondingly in the comparison group, without significant difference. Type of PVTT and Child–Pugh classification of liver function were independent risk factors, and OS was significantly improved by endovascular RFA and subsequent therapy.

Conclusion

Endovascular RFA is technically safe and feasible for unresectable PLC and PVTT to improve the prognosis and quality of life.

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Author notes

  1. Ya-Lin Kong and Jin-Jin Sun have contributed equally to this article.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Chinese PLA Air Force Medical Center Affiliated to Air Force Military Medical University, 30, Fucheng, Rd, Beijing, 100142, China

    Ya-Lin Kong, Hong-Yi Zhang, Cheng Wang, Yang Liu, Xiao-Jun He, Ling-Hong Kong & Cheng-Li Liu

  2. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chinese PLA Air Force Medical Center Affiliated to Air Force Military Medical University, Beijing, 100142, China

    Jin-Jin Sun

  3. General Surgery Department, Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China

    Hong-Yi Zhang, Ying Xing & Yang Liu

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  1. Ya-Lin Kong
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Correspondence to Ya-Lin Kong or Cheng-Li Liu.

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Ya-Lin Kong, Jin-Jin Sun, Ying Xing, Cheng Wang, Yang Liu, Cheng-Li Liu, Xiao-Jun He, Ling-Hong Kong, Hong-Yi Zhang declare that there is no potential conflicts of interests.

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Kong, YL., Sun, JJ., Zhang, HY. et al. Clinical evaluation of percutaneous endovascular radiofrequency ablation for portal vein tumor thrombus: experience in 120 patients. Surg Endosc 37, 1173–1180 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-022-09639-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-022-09639-3

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