All analyses were performed with SAS software, version 6.12. RESULTS A total of 154 patients participated in the study from January 2003 to June 2007. No patient withdrew from the trial during 6 mo follow-up. Seventy-one subjects were assigned in group A, whose average tumor size was 4.3 �� selleckchem 1.1 cm. Eighty-three participants were in group B, whose average tumor size was 4.1 �� 1.0 cm. The characteristics of the two groups are shown in Table Table1.1. There was no significant difference between the two groups in patients�� clinical profile except for the gender ratio. Table 1 Pre-RFA clinical profile of patients (M0N0) n (%) For patients in group A, the feeding artery was blocked in 66/75 (88%) HCC lesions, and decreased in size in 9/75 (12%) lesions. The average number of punctures per HCC was 2.
76 �� 1.12. Complete necrosis rate at 1 mo after RFA was 90.67% (68/75), and recurrence rate at 6 mo was 17.33% (13/75, lesions) (Figure (Figure2).2). For patients in group B, the average number of punctures per HCC was 3.36 �� 1.60. Complete necrosis rate at 1 mo after RFA was 90.20% (92/102), and recurrence rate at 6 mo was 31.37% (32/102). Figure 2 A 65-year-old man with cirrhosis and Child-Pugh class A liver function. An HCC lesion was diagnosed during regular US examination. A: CT showed a tumor with a size of 3.2 cm �� 3.0 cm in the right liver lobe; B: US showed a tumor (arrow) of 4.3 … No significant difference was found in the necrosis rate at 1 mo post-RFA. However, there was a significant different between the two groups in the average number of punctures per HCC and recurrence rate at 6 mo after RFA.
The recurrence time between the two groups was also significantly different by the log-rank test (��2 = 5.23, P = 0.02; Figure Figure3).3). When adjusted for gender, age and cirrhosis, it was still significantly different (��2 = 4.58, P = 0.03). Figure 3 The Kaplan-Meier curves for 6-mo recurrence rate in the two groups. In group A, RFA-related major complications were seen in five patients (7.04%), including three cases of pleural fluid collection, one of bowel wall edema, and one of intrahepatic biliary duct dilation with jaundice, which were all relieved by conservative therapy. A small amount of subcapsular hemorrhage around the puncture site, approximately 0.5-1 cm thick, during RFA was seen with US in 13 patients (18.31%) (Figure (Figure4).
4). It was not considered as a major complication because homeostasis was achieved after injection AV-951 of hemocoagulase, without additional intervention and no change in blood pressure. In group B, major complications were detected in nine cases (10.84%), including one of pneumothorax with pleural fluid collection, six of pleural effusion, one of abdominal wall abscess, and one of intraperitoneal hemorrhage in a tumor > 5 cm and protruding liver lateral surface. All complications were controlled with conservative treatment.