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Copyright ©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 28, 2008; 14(28): 4540-4545
Published online Jul 28, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.4540
Radiofrequency ablation as a treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma
Wei-Jun Fan, Pei-Hong Wu, Liang Zhang, Jin-Hua Huang, Fu-Jun Zhang, Yang-Kui Gu, Ming Zhao, Xiang-Long Huang, Chang-Yu Guo
Wei-Jun Fan, Pei-Hong Wu, Liang Zhang, Jin-Hua Huang, Fu-Jun Zhang, Yang-Kui Gu, Ming Zhao, Cancer Center of Sun Yat-Sen University, 651# Dong Feng Dong Road, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China
Xiang-Long Huang, Chang-Yu Guo, Radiology Department, Centro Hospitalar Conde de São Januário (CHCSJ), Macau SAR CP3002, China
Author contributions: Fan WJ and Wu PH contributed equally to this work; Huang JH, Zhang FJ, Gu YK and Zhao M provided patients’ information, Huang XL, Guo CY analyzed data; Fan WJ and Zhang L wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Pei-Hong Wu, Cancer Center of Sun Yat-Sen University, 651# Dong Feng Dong Road, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China. jrkzl@gzsums.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-20-87343270
Fax: +86-20-87343270
Received: September 28, 2007
Revised: July 19, 2008
Accepted: July 26, 2008
Published online: July 28, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To explore the role of radio-frequency ablation (RFA) as a treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

METHODS: Eleven patients with obstructive cholestasis underwent Computed Tomography (CT) examination, occupying lesions were observed in the hepatic hilar region in each patient. All lesions were confirmed as cholangioadenocarcinoma by biopsy and were classified as type III or IV by percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography. Patients were treated with multiple electrodes RFA combined with other adjuvant therapy. The survival rate, change of CT attenuation coefficient of the tumor and tumor size were studied in these patients after RFA.

RESULTS: In a follow-up CT scan one month after RFA, a size reduction of about 30% was observed in six masses, and two masses were reduced by about 20% in size, three of the eleven masses remained unchanged. In a follow-up CT scan 6 mo after RFA, all the masses were reduced in size (overall 35%), in which the most significant size reduction was 60%. The survival follow-up among these eleven cases was 18 mo in average. Ongoing follow-up showed that the longest survival case was 30 mo and the shortest case was 10 mo.

CONCLUSION: RFA is a microinvasive and effective treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Keywords: Radio-frequency ablation; Cholangiocarcinoma; Computed tomography