PERCUTANEOUS ABLATION OF SMALL RELAPSING HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA WITHOUT GENERAL ANESTHESIA: EVALUATION OF VARIOUS ABLATION TECHNIQUES

Purpose: Relapse after percutaneous ablation therapy (PAT) of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) occur in 4–35% of the cases within one year and often multiple relapses can follow the first one. We evaluated Radiofrequency (RF), Interstitial Laser Photocoagulation (ILP) and Percutaneous Ethanol Injection (PEI) under ultrasound (US) guidance performed without general anesthesia as techniques for treatment of intraparenchymal small (1cm far off liver surface, gallbladder or hepatic hilum). 23 patients with 25 new HCC nodules (diameter 0.9–2.8cm; mean: 1.7) entered the study. 10 patients underwent PEI, 10 underwent ILP…