Radiofrequency Ablation For Early-stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Research Articles

Current perspectives on radiotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma management: a comprehensive review.

This review examines the transformative role of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in managing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), spotlighting the progression from traditional EBRT techniques to advanced modalities like intensity-modulated radiotherapy (RT), stereotactic body RT (SBRT), and innovative particle therapy, including proton beam therapy and carbon ion RT. These advancements have significantly improved the precision and efficacy of RT, marking a paradigm shift in the multimodal management of HCC, particularly in addressing complex cases and enhancing local tumor control. The review underscores the synergistic potential of integrating RT with other treatments like transarterial chemoembolization, systemic therapies such as sorafenib, and emerging immunotherapies, illustrating enhanced survival and disease control outcomes. The efficacy of RT is addressed for challenging conditions, including advanced HCC with macrovascular invasion, and RT modalities, like SBRT, are compared against traditional treatments like radiofrequency ablation for early-stage HCC. Additionally, the review accentuates the encouraging outcomes of particle therapy in enhancing local control and survival rates, minimizing treatment-related toxicity, and advocating for continued research and clinical trials. In conclusion, the integration of RT into multimodal HCC treatment strategies, coupled with the emergence of particle therapy, is crucial for advancing oncologic management, emphasizing the need for relentless innovation and personalized treatment approaches.

The role of hepatic reserve in the mortality of cirrhotic patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma receiving radiofrequency ablation.

Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is considered a curative treatment for early stage small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the long-term prognosis is suboptimal. The major complications in cirrhotic patients are usually related to poor prognosis and include esophageal variceal bleeding, ascites, and hepatic encephalopathy. This study aimed to evaluate the role of liver reserve on mortality after RFA for early stage HCC among cirrhotic patients, according to the presence of the number of complications. The Taiwan National Health Insurance Database was used to identify 2389 cirrhotic patients with treatment-naïve HCC (<3 cm) undergoing RFA hospitalized between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2013. Of these, 594 patients had concurrent or a history of cirrhotic-related complications. The 1-year and 3-year survival rates in the cirrhotic patients with complications were 78.5% and 39.8%, respectively, and those in the patients without complications were 92.7% and 65.9% (P < .001), respectively. Age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.04, P < .001) and cirrhotic-related complications (HR 2.65, 95% CI 2.22–3.16, P < .001) significantly increased 3-year mortality. The HR of mortality in patients with 1, 2, or 3 complications compared to those without complications were 2.35 (95% CI 1.92–2.88), 3.27 (95% CI 2.48–4.30), and 4.63 (95% CI 2.82–7.62), respectively (all P < .001). In cirrhotic patients with early stage HCC undergoing RFA, poor liver reserve correlates with poor outcome. The presence or history of three cirrhotic-related complications increased 3-year mortality 4-fold.

A multicenter, non-randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of surgery versus radiofrequency ablation for small hepatocellular carcinoma (SURF-Cohort Trial): Analysis of overall survival.

4095 Background: We conducted a multicenter prospective study (SURF trial) to compare the efficacy of surgery vs. radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). SURF trial consisted of a randomized controlled trial (SURF-RCT) and a non-randomized prospective observational study (SURF-Cohort), including patients who did not consent to randomization. The initial report of the SURF-Cohort trial showed that recurrence-free survival (RFS) did not differ significantly between patients undergoing surgery and RFA. The focus of the present report was to assess the efficacy for overall survival (OS). Methods: The SURF-Cohort trial was a prospective multicenter study conducted in 49 institutions in Japan. Patients (aged between 29 and 79 years) with Child-Pugh scores ≤ 7, largest HCC diameter ≤ 3 cm, and ≤ 3 HCC nodules were considered eligible. Before the enrollment, both liver surgeons and hepatologists who perform RFA confirm that all the patients can be treated using both surgery and RFA. The co-primary endpoints were RFS and OS. OS was assessed at 5 years after the last accrual as per the protocol. Inverse probability of treatment weighted (IPTW) analysis was used to balance the characteristics of the groups. This trial is registered in UMIN000001796. Results: During 2009–2015, 782 patients were enrolled. After excluding ineligible patients, the surgery and RFA groups included 382 and 371 patients, respectively. In the surgery group, median platelet count (13.7x104 vs. 11.5x104, P&lt; 0.01) was significantly greater, and the median largest HCC diameter was significantly greater (2.0 cm vs. 1.8 cm, P&lt; 0.01) than in the RFA group. The median (range) follow-up period was 6.8 years in the surgery group and 6.7 years in the RFA group. The IPTW-adjusted OS did not differ significantly between the surgery and RFA groups: the 5-year OS, 79.7% vs. 79.3%; HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.75–1.30; P= 0.906. The analysis after long-term follow-up in the current report showed that RFS was not significantly different between the surgery and RFA groups: the 5-year RFS, 44.6% vs. 39.3%; HR 0.86; 95% CI 0.71–1.06; P= 0.155. Conclusions: SURF-Cohort trial revealed that OS and RFS after the IPTW adjustment were not significantly different between patients undergoing surgery and RFA for early stage HCC (≤ 3 cm and 3 nodules). Clinical trial information: UMIN000001796.

Substantial risk of recurrence even after 5 recurrence-free years in early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Background/AimsAlthough hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is notorious for its high recurrence rate, some patients do not experience recurrence for more than 5 years after resection or radiofrequency ablation for early-stage HCC. For those with five recurrence-free period, the risk of HCC recurrence within the next 5 years remains unknown.MethodsA total of 1,451 consecutive patients (median, 55 years old; males, 79.0%; hepatitis B virus-related, 79.3%) with good liver function (Child-Pugh class A) diagnosed with early-stage HCC by Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging and received radiofrequency ablation or resection as an initial treatment between 2005 and 2010 were analyzed.ResultsDuring a median follow-up period of 8.1 years, 961 patients (66.2%) experienced HCC recurrence. The cumulative recurrence rates increased to 39.7%, 60.3%, and 71.0% at 2, 5, and 10 years, respectively, and did not reach a plateau. Five years after HCC diagnosis, 487 patients were alive without experiencing a recurrence. Among them, during a median of 3.9 additional years of follow-up (range, 0.1–9.0 years), 127 patients (26.1%) experienced recurrence. The next 5-year cumulative recurrence rate (5–10 years from initial diagnosis) was 27.0%. Male sex, higher fibrosis-4 scores, and alpha-fetoprotein levels at 5 years were associated with later HCC recurrence among patients who did not experience recurrence for more than 5 years.ConclusionsThe HCC recurrence rate following 5 recurrence-free years after HCC treatment was high, indicating that HCC patients warrant continued HCC surveillance, even after 5 recurrence-free years.

Demographic and facility volume related outcomes in radiofrequency ablation for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma

BackgroundTo evaluate outcomes related to disparities in facility volume and patient demographics in patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA). MethodsThis is a retrospective study of patients with stage I/II HCC treated with RFA in the National Cancer Database. Independent contributors to overall survival were determined with Cox regression analysis. The Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank analyses were used to estimate overall survival and compare survival curves. A propensity score matched cohort analysis was performed. P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. ResultsIn total, 2911 patients were included. Stage II disease (p-value = 0.006), increasing alpha fetoprotein (p-value = 0.007), and increasing bilirubin (p-value < 0.001) were associated with worse survival. Improved survival was seen in patients treated at high-volume centers (p-value = 0.004), which persisted following propensity score adjustment (p-value = 0.003). Asian race was associated with significantly improved survival (p-value < 0.001), while governmental insurance was associated with a significant decrease in survival (p-value < 0.001). ConclusionTreatment at a high-volume center and Asian race were significantly associated with improved survival following RFA for early-stage HCC. Governmental insurance, increasing alpha fetoprotein, increasing bilirubin, and higher disease stage were significantly associated with worse survival.

Randomized clinical trial of hepatic resection versus radiofrequency ablation for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatic resection and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) are treatment options for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Whether tumour recurrence and long-term survival favour either treatment has not been established. This randomized trial aimed to test the hypothesis that RFA is superior to hepatic resection in terms of lower tumour recurrence rate and better long-term survival. Patients with early-stage HCC (solitary tumour no larger than 5 cm; or no more than 3 tumours, each 3 cm or smaller) were randomized into hepatic resection and RFA groups. Demographic and clinical characteristics, and short- and long-term outcome measures were compared between groups. Primary and secondary outcome measures were overall tumour recurrence and survival respectively. Clinicopathological data were similar in the two groups, which each contained 109 patients. The RFA group had a shorter treatment duration, less blood loss and shorter hospital stay than the resection group. Mortality and morbidity rates were similar in the two groups. The overall tumour recurrence rate was similar in the resection and RFA groups (71·3 versus 81·7 per cent respectively). The 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 94·5, 80·6, 66·5 and 47·6 per cent respectively in the resection group, compared with 95·4, 82·3, 66·4 and 41·8 per cent in the RFA group (P = 0·531). Corresponding disease-free survival rates were 74·1, 50·9, 41·5 and 31·9 per cent in the resection group, and 70·6, 46·6, 33·6 and 18·6 per cent in the RFA group (P = 0·072). RFA for early-stage HCC is not superior to hepatic resection, in terms of tumour recurrence, overall survival and disease-free survival. Registration number: HKUCTR-10 (http://www.hkuctr.com).