Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem being the 6th most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Percutaneous image-guided Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) has received an increasing attention as a promising technique for treatment of liver tumors.Objectives: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of RFA in the treatment of HCC.Study Design: Prospective study.Patients and Methods: Included sixty patients with HCC. They were assigned according to child-pugh score into two groups; (Group I) included 40 patients with child B liver cirrhosis and (Group II) included 20 patients with child A liver cirrhosis. Pretreatment assessment was done to all patients through complete clinical examination, laboratory investigations and radiological investigations including (abdominal ultrasound and triphasic spiral CT abdomen). Patients were treated by RFA. Post RFA assessment and follow-up was done through complete clinical examination, laboratory and radiological investigations every 3 months for 18 months.Results: The results of this study showed that the disease-free 3-, 15-, and 18-months survival rates in Group I were 100%, 80% and 75%, respectively while those in Group II were 100%, 95% and 80%, respectively with statistically insignificant difference between both groups (p 0.05). The disease free survival rate of RFA was inversely correlated with the Barcelona staging of HCC. The post RFA complication rate was (10%) and the mortality rate was (3.3%). The incidence of complications was inversely correlated with child-pugh stage of liver cirrhosis.Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that, RFA is an effective and relatively safe therapeutic modality for HCC tumors less than 3cm in diameter with a better outcome and low incidence of complications among patients with early stage of liver cirrhosis and early HCC stage.