Therapeutic effectiveness of echo-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation therapy with a LeVeen needle electrode in hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 1 Characteristics of 56 cirrhotic patients with HCC treated with RFA

Parameters	Numbers
Total patients	56
Gender
Male	37
Female	19
Age (yr)
Range	45-81
Mean	68.7
Type of cirrhosis
Viral HCV-related	48
Viral HBV-related	3
Alcoholic	4
Autoimmune	1
Child-Pugh classification
A	16
B	37
C	3

Table 2 Characteristics of HCCs in 56 cirrhotic patients treated with RFA

Parameters	Numbers
Number of HCCs	63
One HCC	50
Two HCCs	5
Three HCCs	1
Type of HCCs
Nodular	63
Infiltrating	0
HCC diameter (cm)
> 1 < 2	19
> 2 < 3	27
> 3 < 4	12
> 4 < 5	5
Mean	2.8

Table 3 Clinical findings in 23 cirrhotic patients with HCC recurrence after RFA

Parameters	Numbers
Total patients	23
Time of recurrence (mo)
Range	3-30
Mean	13
Type of recurrence, n (%)
Local unifocal	2 (8.6%)
Different segments unifocal	5 (21.8%)
Different segments multifocal	16 (69.6%)
Treatment of recurrences
RFA	7 (unifocal)
TACE	5 (multifocal)
Supportive treatment	11 (multifocal)
Results of treatment
RFA	Complete necrosis 7/7
TACE	Complete necrosis 1/5

Table 4 Clinical findings in 32 deceased cirrhotic patients treated with RFA for HCC

Causes of death	Number of patients	Child-Pugh status
		A	B	C
HCC recurrence	15	4	12
Liver failure	11		9	2
Esophageal varices	3		3
bleeding
Head stroke	1		1
Brain hemorrhage	1	1
Esophageal cancer	1	1