Percutaneous Treatment of Localized Infiltrative Hepatocellular Carcinoma Developing on Cirrhosis

Infiltrating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by a difficult diagnosis, dismal prognosis, and limited therapeutic options. We describe long-term results of percutaneous treatment of infiltrative HCC, i.e., multibipolar radiofrequency ablation (mbpRFA) and percutaneous intra-arterial ethanol injection (PIAEI).

All cirrhotic patients with localized (up to two segments) infiltrating HCC treated by mbpRFA or PIAEI between 2002 and 2012 were included. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox univariate followed by multivariate analyses.

Fifty-one patients were considered eligible for mbpRFA (n = 20) or PIAEI (n = 31). Cirrhosis etiologies were alcohol (67 %), hepatitis C (33 %), hepatitis B (16 %), and/or NASH (16 %). HCC were multinodular in 31 % of cases, with a median main tumor size of 60 mm (range 30-200) and macrovascular invasion in 59 % of cases. The median serum level of alphafetoprotein was 125 ng/ml (range 2-215,000). Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 58 %, mainly postablation syndrome (31 %), and one death (2 %). Median overall survival was 18.3 months, with 63, 35, 20, and 12 % survival at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years, respectively. Baseline serum bilirubin >normal [hazard ratio (HR) 2.98; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.38-6.50; P = 0.0057] and tumor burden >70 mm (HR 1.02; 95 % CI 1.003-1.04; P = 0.0221) were associated with poorer overall survival. The radiological response using mRECIST criteria and an alphafetoprotein decrease 1 month post-procedure was associated with increased overall survival (P = 0.0002 and P = 0.024, respectively).

Despite its overall poor prognosis, localized infiltrating HCC can be safely treated using percutaneous approaches, with potential survival benefits for these difficult-to-treat patients.