Author:
Margaris Ioannis,Arkadopoulos Nikolaos,Hatzaras Ioannis
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an increasingly common malignancy worldwide. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a procedure that was developed to treat HCC patients deemed unsuitable candidates for surgical resection or transplantation and has shown a survival benefit for patients with unresectable HCC. Similarly, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) have been shown to treat HCC successfully, although the rates of success are size-dependent. Head-to-head studies of TACE vs. RFA have shown some superiority of ablation vs. TACE in prolonging survival, with the greatest survival benefit conferred to individuals undergoing dual TACE and ablation therapy. The chapter will discuss the merits of combination treatment vs. monotherapy.