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Radiofrequency, laser ablation similarly effective for treating small HCC nodules
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Laser ablation was comparably effective to radiofrequency ablation in inducing complete necrosis of small hepatocellular carcinoma in a study presented at the International Liver Cancer Association Annual Conference in Washington, DC.
Researchers evaluated 432 treatment-naive patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between January 2009 and July 2012. Within this cohort, 140 patients with 157 nodules were randomly assigned to radiofrequency ablation (RFA; n=70 with 77 nodules) or laser ablation (LA; n=70 with 80 nodules), with a median follow-up of 21 months (range 4-48 months) among RFA recipients and 22.5 months (range 4-50 months) in the LA group.
Complete tumor ablation (CTA) occurred in 97.2% of the RFA group and 95.8% of the LA group, with 74 RFA sessions and 88 LA sessions necessary to achieve CTA. HCC recurred in 76 cases, including 40 RFA recipients and 36 LA recipients. Local recurrence occurred in 18 RFA patients and 12 LA recipients, with a mean time to local recurrence (TTLR) of 25.6 months (95% CI, 21-30 months) and 37.8 months (95% CI, 32-44 months), respectively. Both groups had an overall survival of 93% after 1 year, and no significant morbidities related to therapy were observed in either group.
“In our experience, LA was as effective as RFA in inducing the complete necrosis of HCC nodules,” the researchers concluded. “This is the first study that validates the use of LA for the treatment of small HCC in cirrhotic patients.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
For more information:
Di Costanzo GG. O-028: Radiofrequency Ablation Versus Laser Ablation for the Treatment of Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Cirrhosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Presented at: The International Liver Cancer Association Annual Conference 2013; Sept. 13-15, Washington, DC.