Korean J Gastroenterol.  2003 Dec;42(6):502-509.

Efficacy of Percutaneous Ethanol Injection Therapy in Korean with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

• Kang HW
• Kim YJ
• Kim KM
• Kang JM
• Kim SH
• Kim JH
• Yoon WJ
• Yoon JH
• Yoon YB
• Lee HS

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) is widely used for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its long-term therapeutic efficacy is not verified in Korea, one of hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemic areas. Thus, this study was to assess its efficacy and prognostic factors affecting tumor-free survival following PEIT in Korean HCC patients. METHODS: From 1997 to 1999, 100 consecutive patients who had 1 to 3 HCC nodules of maximum diameter less than 3 cm and underwent PEIT were enrolled. Therapeutic efficacy, overall and tumor-free survival rates were assessed during follow-up periods. RESULTS: In 83 patients, HCC nodules were completely ablated by PEIT. The cumulative 1, 2, and 3 year overall survival rates were 98%, 96%, and 88%, respectively. The cumulative 1, 2, and 3 year tumor-free survival rates were 73%, 50%, and 37%, respectively. Larger tumors (> or = were associated with a higher local recurrence rate. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that PEIT is therapeutically useful in patients with HCC less than 4 in number and less than 3 cm in diameter. However, since multiple or large tumors are associated with low tumor-free survival or high local recurrence rates, PEIT for these tumors and the subsequent post-treatment follow-up should be performed carefully.

Keyword

Carcinoma; hepatocellular; Percutaneous ethanol injection; Survival; Recurrence

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/mortality/*therapy
Ethanol/*administration & dosage
Humans
Injections, Intralesional
Korea
Liver Neoplasms/mortality/*therapy
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/mortality/therapy
Survival Rate