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Outcome of MR-guided percutaneous cryoablation for hepatocellular carcinoma

  • Original article
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Journal of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the mid-term results of MR-guided percutaneous cryoablation for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

Using an argon-based cryoablation system, MR-guided percutaneous cryoablation was performed. The number of tumors was three or fewer. The maximum diameter of tumors was less than 5 cm when solitary and no more than 3 cm when multiple. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate the survival of patients.

Results

Among 15 patients, 16 tumors were treated. The maximum tumor diameter ranged from 1.2 to 4.5 cm, with a mean of 2.5 ± 0.8 cm (mean ± standard deviation). The volume of iceballs measured on MR-images was greater than that of the tumors in all cases. The follow-up period ranged from 10 to 52 months, with a mean of 36.6 ± 12.1 months. One-year and 3-year overall survival were 93.8 and 79.3%, respectively. The complete ablation rate was 80.8% at 3 years. Immediate complications were pneumothorax, hemothorax, and pleural effusion. An ablation zone was not absorbed and content exuded from a scar of the probe tract 4 months after cryoablation in one patient.

Conclusion

MR-guided percutaneous cryoablation appears to be a feasible modality and potentially good option for the treatment of small HCC.

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Acknowledgment

This study is supported by HITACHI Medical Corporation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, North-12 West-5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan

    Tadashi Shimizu

  2. Department of Radiology, Hokkaido University Hospital, North-15 West-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan

    Yusuke Sakuhara, Daisuke Abo, Yu Hasegawa & Hiroki Shirato

  3. Department of Radiology, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, Maeda 1-12-1-40, Teine-ku, Sapporo, 006-8555, Japan

    Yoshihisa Kodama

  4. Department of Radiology, Yokohama City Minato Red Cross Hospital, Shinyamashita 3-12-1, Naka-ku, Yokohama, 231-8682, Japan

    Hideho Endo

  5. Medical Image Lab., Inc., North-15 West-2, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0015, Japan

    Kazuo Miyasaka

Authors
  1. Tadashi Shimizu
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  2. Yusuke Sakuhara
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  3. Daisuke Abo
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  4. Yu Hasegawa
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  5. Yoshihisa Kodama
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  6. Hideho Endo
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  7. Hiroki Shirato
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  8. Kazuo Miyasaka
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tadashi Shimizu.

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Shimizu, T., Sakuhara, Y., Abo, D. et al. Outcome of MR-guided percutaneous cryoablation for hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg 16, 816–823 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00534-009-0124-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00534-009-0124-4

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