Evaluation of microwave ablation of liver malignancy with enabled constant spatial energy control to achieve a predictable spherical ablation zone.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical performance of a new microwave ablation (MWA) system with enabled constant spatial energy control (ECSEC) to achieve spherical ablation zones in the treatment of liver malignancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, 56 hepatic tumours in 48 patients (23 men, 25 women; mean age: 59.6 years) were treated using a new high-frequency MWA-system with ECSEC. Parameters evaluated were technical success, technical efficacy, tumour diameter, tumour and ablation volume, complication rate, 90-day mortality, local tumour progression (LTP) at the 12-month follow-up, ablative margin and ablation zone sphericity. These parameters were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test with the same parameters collected retrospectively from cohorts of patients treated with conventional high-frequency (HF) MWA (n = 20) or low-frequency (LF) MWA (n = 20). RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all interventions. The technical efficacy was 100% (ECSEC) vs. 100% (LF-MWA) vs. 95% (HF-MWA). There were no intra-procedural deaths or major complications. Minor complications occurred in 3.57% (2/56), 0% (0/20) and 0% (0/20) of the patients, respectively. The one-year mortality rate was 16.1% (9/56), 15% (3/20) and 10% (2/20), respectively. The LTP was 3.57% (2/56), 5% (1/20) and 5% (1/20), respectively. The median deviation from ideal sphericity (1.0) was 0.135 (ECSEC) vs. 0.344 (LF-MWA) vs. 0.314 (HF-MWA) (p < 0.001). The absolute minimal ablative margin was 8.1 vs. 2.3 vs. 3.1 mm (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Microwave ablation of liver malignancies is a safe and efficient treatment independent of the system used. Hepatic MWA with ECSEC achieves significantly more spherical ablation zones and higher minimal ablative margins.