Treatment outcomes of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma by transarterial chemoembolisation combined with radiofrequency ablation

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancer and ranks third in terms of cancer related deaths. The majority of patients are not eligible for curative treatment because of local or distal progression of tumor. RFA treatment following TACE has some advantages over TACE alone. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and survival benefits of the TACE+RFA approach to the management of unresectable HCCs in Hue Central Hospital, Vietnam. Methods: A prospective, cohort study on 60 patients, diagnosed with unresectable HCCs and treated with TACE combined with RFA at Hue Central Hospital from 1/2016 – 1/2019. All clinical and paraclinical data and adverse effects of each treatment, tumor response rate assessed by m-RECIST criteria, survival rate and other adverse events from the first treatment were documented. Results: There were no major complications after combined therapy except for two cases (1.4%) of liver failure treated successfully with conservative therapy. Tumor control rate (CR+PR) at three months after the last treatment was 81.6%. All patients were followed-up closely after treatment and additional treatments were decided based on imaging and laboratory results. The mean follow-up time was 19.3 (4 – 30) months. The 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 71.7% and 58.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Combination therapy with TACE and RFA is an effective, safe and feasible option for patients with unresectable HCCs. Key words: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE), radiofrequency ablation (RFA) 1