Two long-term survivors after microwave coagulation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report

We present two long-term survivors who underwent microwave coagulation therapy (MCT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). One patient was a 55-yr-old man having a solitary HCC of 25 mm in diameter associated with advanced liver cirrhosis. He underwent MCT instead of hepatic resection because he developed bleeding tendency during surgery. The other patient was a 78-yr-old woman having a 7 cm tumor in segment II and a 15 mm satellite lesion in segment IV. Because manipulation of the left hepatic lobe caused prolonged hypotension, only the main tumor was resected. The satellite lesion was treated with MCT. In both cases, tumors and surrounding liver parenchyma were widely coagulated. Postoperative courses were uneventful. The coagulated area shrank subsequently after surgery. Both patients are alive 39 and 55 months after MCT without tumor recurrence. This report proves that MCT is a curative treatment and an alternative to hepatic resection in selected patients with HCCs.