Image-Guided Ablation Therapies for Extrahepatic Metastases from Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review

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1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The most common sites of extrahepatic metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the lungs, intra-abdominal lymph nodes, bones, and adrenal glands, in that order. Although systemic therapies are a common treatment for patients with extrahepatic metastases, local ablative therapies for the extrahepatic metastatic lesions can be performed in selected patients. In this article, the literature on image-guided thermal ablation for metastasis to each organ was reviewed to summarize the current evidence. Radiofrequency ablation was the most commonly evaluated technique, and microwave ablation, cryoablation, and percutaneous ethanol injection were also utilized. The local control rate of thermal ablation therapy was relatively favorable, at approximately 70–90% in various organs. The survival outcomes varied among the studies, and several studies reported that the absence of viable intrahepatic lesions was associated with improved survival rates. Since only retrospective data from relatively small studies has been available thus far, more robust studies with prospective designs and larger cohorts are desired to prove the usefulness of thermal ablation for extrahepatic metastases from HCC.

Original languageEnglish
Article number3665
JournalCancers
Volume15
Issue number14
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2023

Keywords

  • ablation therapy
  • cryoablation
  • extrahepatic metastases
  • hepatocellular carcinoma
  • microwave ablation
  • percutaneous ethanol injection
  • radiofrequency ablation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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