Comparison between percutaenous ethanol injection and radiofrequency ablation in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

ABSTRACT

Hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] is a common type of cancer with approximately 260000 new cases each year and liver cirrhosis could be a predisposing factor [Isselbacher and Dienstag 1998]. Management of HCC depend on the early detection of the tumor, the size and its site. Surgical management versus medical approaches were studied and gave different results in different situations. Radiofrequency ablation is a new minimally invasive technique, which must be evaluated properly. In the study comparison between results of percutaneous ethanol injection [PEI] and percutaneous rediofrequency ablation [PRFA] as a method of treatment of HCC of a diameter less than 3cm. 30 patients with HCC less than 3 cm in diameter either single or multiple lesion with a total number of 50 lesions were divided into 2 groups, group I 15 patients having 22 lesions treated with PEI and group II 15 patients having 28 lesions treated with PRFA. Both groups were age, sex, histopathological type of tumor matched groups. The rate of complete success was detected as follows in group I [PEI] 10 lesions [45.5%] of lesions showed complete success. In group II [PRFA] 21 lesions [75%] of lesions showed complete success, complications appeared more prominent in group I more than group II. We concluded that PRFA gave better results of treatment than PEI, less invasive less complications and less number of sessions