Background and study aim: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rising worldwide being the fifth most common cancer and the third cause of cancer-related mortality. Early detection of HCC is associated with a better outcome. In Egypt and over the last decades, a remarkable rise of HCC was observed in the proportion of chronic liver disease patients. The aim of this study is to compare between Radiofrequency ablation (RF) & Percutaneous Ethanol Injection (PEI) in treating small HCC in cirrhotic /bilharzial patients.
Patients and Methods: We divided patients into two groups; Group 1: (n=24) were HCC patients with small focal lesions treated by ethanol injection therapy using 99% sterile alcohol delivered in the lesion through a 21-gauge needle, amount of alcohol not exceeding 10ml every session. Group II: (n=24) were HCC patients with small focal lesions treated by radiofrequency ablation using Leveen Needle Electrode.patients were followed up at 1 and 3 months by abdominal ultrasoungraphy& triphasic CT to assess ablation status.
Results: The 2 groups are comparable regarding their baseline. The incidence of HCC ablation by PEI is 87.5% while it was to 91.7% in the radiofrequency ablation group with no relapse after 3 months follow up. In both groups, this difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The Efficacy of PEI therapy is not inferior to percutaneous RF ablation in the treatment of small HCC lesions up to 2.5 cm in patients with mixed cirrhosis/bilharzial hepatic fibrosis.