Microwave Coagulation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Severe Liver Dysfunction

Kaoru Nagahori, Kuniya Tanaka, Katsumi Go, Itaru Endo, Hitoshi Sekido, Shinji Togo and Hiroshi Shimada

Second Department of Surgery, Yokohama City University, School of Medicine

The safety and antitumor effect of microwave coagulation therapy (MCT) as a local treatment was evaluated in thirty-two patients who had advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with severe associated liver dysfunction. Hepatectomy was not performed on these patients for the following reasons: severe liver dysfunction (14 patients), multi nodular HCC in both lobes (15 patients), renal failure (2 patients) and age (1 patients). The number of patients in clinical stage I, II and III were 2, 16 and 14, respectively. The number of patients in stage I, II, III and IV-A were 2, 6, 8 and 16, respectively. The average tumor diameter was 3.2 cm and the average number of tumors was 2.5. In 19 patients, the tumor was recurrent HCC. The one-and three-year cumulative survival rates were 46.5% and 37.2%, respectively. Using univariate analysis, significantly longer survival rates were noted in patients who had tumors that were smaller than 3 cm in diameter, or who had fewer than 2 tumors (p<0.05). There was no mortality as a result of treatment and neither postoperative bleeding nor abscess formation occurred. MCT was performed without severe complication even in patients with high grade liver dysfunction. Furthermore, in cases having small HCC tumors, good clinical results were achieved.

Key words
microwave coagulation therapy, hepatocellular carcinoma, severe liver dysfunction

Reprint requests
Kaoru Nagahori Second Department of Surgery, Yokohama City University, School of Medicine 3-46 Urafune, Minamiku, Yokohama, 232-0024 JAPAN

Accepted
January 27, 1999

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