Intra-Procedural CT/MR-Ultrasound Fusion Imaging Helps to Improve Outcomes of Thermal Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Results in 502 Nodules.

PURPOSE: The aim was to assess the value of intra-procedural CT/MR-ultrasound (CT/MR-US) fusion imaging in the management of thermal ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board. From May 2010 to October 2016, 543 HCC nodules in 440 patients (387 men and 53 women; age range: 25-84 years) that met the Milan Criteria were treated by percutaneous thermal ablation using intra-procedural CT/MR-US fusion imaging. The HCC nodules were divided into subgroups and compared (≤ 3 cm and > 3 cm, or high-risk and low-risk location, or inconspicuous and conspicuous, respectively). Technique efficacy and major complication were calculated. Cumulative local tumor progression (LTP), tumor-free and overall survival rates were estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: CT/MR-US fusion imaging was successfully registered in 419 patients with 502 nodules. The technique efficacy rate of thermal ablation was 99.4 %. The major complication rate was 1.9 %. The cumulative LTP rates were 3.2 %, 5.6 % and 7.2 % at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. There were no significant differences for the comparisons of cumulative LTP rates between different subgroups (P = 0.541, 0.314, 0.329). The cumulative tumor-free survival rates were 74.8 %, 54.0 % and 37.5 % at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. The cumulative overall survival rates were 97.8 %, 87.1 % and 81.7 % at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: Intra-procedural CT/MR-ultrasound fusion imaging is a useful technique for percutaneous liver thermal ablation. It could help to achieve satisfying survival outcomes for HCC patients who meet the Milan Criteria.

Value of artificial ascites to assist thermal ablation of liver cancer adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract in patients with previous abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of artificial ascites to assist thermal ablation of liver cancer adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract in patients with previous abdominal surgery. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with a total of 40 liver malignant tumors were enrolled between January 2016 and June 2019. All had histories of hepatectomy, splenectomy, cholecystectomy, and intestinal surgery. The distance between the tumor and the gastrointestinal tract was < 5 mm. Normal saline was used as artificial ascites to protect the gastrointestinal tract during thermal ablation. The success rate of the procedure, incidence of major complications, and the technical efficacy of ablation were recorded. Patients were followed for local tumor progression (LTP), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: The use of artificial ascites was successful in 38 of the 40 procedures (95%). Major complications occurred in two of the 39 patients (5.1%) following the procedure. One was an intestinal fistula that occurred in a failed case and was associated with an infection. The other was a liver abscess that occurred in a successful case. The technical efficacy of ablation was 100% (40/40 procedures). The median follow-up was 16 months. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year LTP rates were 2.9, 5.7 and 5.7%. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates were 97.1, 86.8 and 69.5%. CONCLUSION: In patients with previous abdominal surgery, artificial ascites is feasible and effective for assisting thermal ablation of liver cancer adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract.

Fusion imaging techniques and contrast-enhanced ultrasound for thermal ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma - A prospective randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to compare the clinical application values of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), computed tomography/magnetic resonance-CEUS (CT/MR-CEUS), and three-dimensional ultrasound-CEUS (3DUS-CEUS) Fusion imaging (FI) techniques in the assistance of thermal ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods: A RCT was conducted on 374 patients with 456 HCCs between January 2016 and September 2017. CEUS, CT/MR-CEUS, and 3DUS-CEUS FI techniques were randomly used to assist HCC ablation. All lesions were ablated according to a previously determined plan, and FI groups required a 5-mm ablative margin. The primary endpoints were technical efficacy of thermal ablation and local tumor progression (LTP).Results: According to randomization, 153 (18.8 ± 8.0 cm), 153 (18.3 ± 6.6 cm) and 150 (19.1 ± 6.9 cm) HCCs were assigned to CT/MR-CEUS, 3DUS-CEUS and CEUS groups respectively. Technical efficacy rates (99.3% vs. 100% vs. 100%) were achieved in the three groups, showing no statistical differences (p = 1.000). The median follow-up time was 24 (1-37) months. LTP rates at 1 and 2 years were 3.4%, 12.2% for CT/MR-CEUS FI, 4.8%, 9.0% for 3DUS-CEUS FI, and 8.6%, 19.9% for CEUS, respectively (p = .105). The results of subgroup analysis for LTP were statistically significant when patients with albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade 2 and 3 (p = .000), and tumor located at risky positions (p = .042). In addition, the p value in group of multiple tumors was close to .05 (p = .052).Conclusions: All the three techniques are feasible for intraoperative HCC thermal ablation. Compared with CEUS, FI techniques are more suitable in patients with ALBI grade 2 and 3, multiple tumors, and in tumors at risky locations.

Comparison of CT/MRI-CEUS and US-CEUS fusion imaging techniques in the assessment of the thermal ablation of liver tumors.

PURPOSE: To compare the applicability of fusion imaging between contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (CT/MRI-CEUS fusion imaging) and fusion imaging between CEUS and ultrasound (US-CEUS fusion imaging) in the assessment of treatment response during liver cancer ablation. METHODS: From August to December 2015, patients who underwent US-guided thermal ablation of liver tumors at our hospital with available CT/MRI images were enrolled consecutively. Both CT/MRI-CEUS and US-CEUS fusion imaging were performed in all patients to evaluate treatment responses. The applicable rate, success rate of registration and duration time were recorded. Complications were monitored in the follow-up period, and CECT/MRI within three months were taken as the standard reference of technical efficacy. RESULTS: A total of 157 liver tumors (19 ± 8 mm, range 8-55 mm) in 115 patients (54 ± 11 years old, range 2 7∼ 84 years old) were enrolled. The applicable rate of US-CEUS fusion imaging was 61.1% (96/157) because of inconspicuous lesions in US, lower than that of CT/MRI-CEUS fusion imaging (99.7% (155/157)) (p < .05). However, the success rate of registration in US-CEUS fusion imaging (93.8% (90/96)) was superior to that of CT/MRI-US fusion imaging (81.3% (126/155)) (p < .05), especially for cases combined with alternative preablation surgeries or procedures (p < .05). The technical efficacy rate was 99.3% (150/151) according to the CECT/CEMRI. CONCLUSIONS: Both CT/MRI-CEUS and US-CEUS fusion imaging are feasible means for intraprocedural immediate evaluation of treatment response for liver thermal ablation. US-CEUS fusion imaging is preferred because of its convenience and higher success rate of registration.

Risk factors of intrahepatic biloma and secondary infection after thermal ablation for malignant hepatic tumors.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors of biloma formation and secondary infection after thermal ablation for malignant hepatic tumors. Patients and methods: A total of 58 patients with 68 bilomas after thermal ablation were recruited as the complication group, and 61 patients with 72 lesions without major complications were selected randomly as the control group. The potential risk factors for biloma formation were analyzed with the chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. To determine the optimum management method for biloma, patients with secondary infection were included for the subgroup analysis of risk factors. Results: A history of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment (odds ratio [OR]: 3.606, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.165-11.156, p = .026) and tumor location (OR: 37.734, 95% CI: 13.058-109.034, p = .000) were independent predictors of biloma formation. Among the 58 patients with biloma, 49 (84.5%) showed no symptoms (i.e., the asymptomatic group), while the remaining 9 (15.5%) developed symptoms related to secondary infections (i.e., the symptomatic group). There were significant differences in the history of biliary manipulation (p = .031) between the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. Conclusion: A history of TACE treatment and the distance from the biliary tract were independent predictors of biloma formation after thermal ablation. Therefore, protecting the bile duct (i.e., cooling of the bile duct and combing thermal ablation with chemical ablation) should be considered for high-risk patients. Moreover, active monitoring and management should be performed for patients with bilomas who underwent biliary surgery before.

Intraprocedural contrast-enhanced ultrasound-CT/MR fusion imaging assessment in HCC thermal ablation to reduce local tumor progression: compared with routine contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

Purpose: To evaluate whether local tumor progression (LTP) would be further reduced when contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)-CT/MR fusion imaging was used as intraprocedural assessment method in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) thermal ablation compared with routine CEUS. Materials and methods: This prospective non-randomized study was conducted from December 2010 to July 2012. CEUS-CT/MR fusion imaging and routine CEUS were used for treatment response assessment in the ablation procedure of 146 HCCs and 122 HCCs, respectively. Supplementary ablations were performed immediately if necessary. The primary technique efficacy rate, LTP rate and overall survival (OS) rate were calculated. Results: For CEUS-CT/MR fusion imaging and routine CEUS, the technical success rate, technique efficacy rate and supplementary ablation rate were 86.3% (126/146) and 98.4% (120/122) (p = .000), 99.2% (125/126) and 94.2% (113/120) (p = .032), and 14.3% (18/126) and 4.2% (5/120) (p = .006), respectively. The cumulative LTP rate and OS rate were not significantly different between fusion imaging group and routine CEUS group. However, for lesions that were larger than 3 cm or close to major vessels (41 lesions in fusion imaging group and 44 lesions in routine CEUS group, who received transcatheter arterial chemoembolization before ablation), the cumulative LTP rate was significantly lower in fusion imaging group than in routine CEUS group (p = .032). Conclusion: Although intraprocedural CEUS-CT/MR fusion imaging has certain limitations in application, it might provide a potential more efficient method compared with routine CEUS in reducing LTP in HCC thermal ablation, especially for difficult ablation lesions.

Thermal ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with abnormal coagulation function.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety of thermal ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with abnormal coagulation function. METHODS: Fifty-seven HCC tumours in 50 patients were treated with thermal ablation. All patients had a meted platelet count <50 × 109/L or international normalised ratio (INR) ≥ 1.7. Gastroscopy before ablation, platelet concentrate or fresh frozen plasma transfusion during ablation and contrast enhanced ultrasoundgraphy (CEUS)-guided ablation to cease needle tract bleeding were performed to reduce haemorrhage. The incidences of haemorrhage and other major complications were recorded and patients were followed up to observe the local tumour progression (LTP), intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR), overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates. RESULTS: Two incidences of needle tract bleeding and one needle tract bleeding together with bleeding at the suture of the spleen fossa were found. Three needle tract bleeding events were detected by CEUS and ceased after CEUS-guided complementary ablation. CEUS failed to detect bleeding at the suture of the spleen fossa. Therefore, a laparotomy was conducted for haemostasis. No other major complications were found after ablation. The median follow-up periods were 18.7 ± 12.0 months (range 1 ∼ 42 months) and 1 LTP and 15 IDRs occurred. The 1-, 2- and 3-year OS rates were 84.8%, 82.7% and 82.7%, and RFS rates were 67.9%, 64.0% and 64.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: With gastroscopy before ablation, platelet concentrate or fresh frozen plasma transfusion during ablation and CEUS-guided ablation to cease needle tract bleeding, thermal ablation is a safe treatment for HCC in patients with abnormal coagulation function.

Evaluation of the ablation margin of hepatocellular carcinoma using CEUS-CT/MR image fusion in a phantom model and in patients.

BACKGROUND: To assess the accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)-CT/MR image fusion in evaluating the radiofrequency ablative margin (AM) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on a custom-made phantom model and in HCC patients. METHODS: Twenty-four phantoms were randomly divided into a complete ablation group (n = 6) and an incomplete ablation group (n = 18). After radiofrequency ablation (RFA), the AM was evaluated using ultrasound (US)-CT image fusion, and the results were compared with the AM results that were directly measured in a gross specimen. CEUS-CT/MR image fusion and CT-CT / MR-MR image fusion were used to evaluate the AM in 37 tumors from 33 HCC patients who underwent RFA. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of US-CT image fusion for evaluating AM in the phantom model were 93.8, 85.7 and 91.3%, respectively. The maximal thicknesses of the residual AM were 3.5 ± 2.0 mm and 3.2 ± 2.0 mm in the US-CT image fusion and gross specimen, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the US-CT image fusion and direct measurements of the AM of HCC. In the clinical study, the success rate of the AM evaluation was 100% for both CEUS-CT/MR and CT-CT/MR-MR, and the duration was 8.5 ± 2.8 min (range: 4-12 min) and 13.5 ± 4.5 min (range: 8-16 min) for CEUS-CT/MR and CT-CT/MR-MR, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CEUS-CT/MR imaging for evaluating the AM were 100.0, 80.0, and 90.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A phantom model composed of carrageenan gel and additives was suitable for the evaluation of HCC AM. CEUS-CT/MR image fusion can be used to evaluate HCC AM with high accuracy.

Postoperative SIRS after thermal ablation of HCC: Risk factors and short-term prognosis.

Background: We aimed to explore the potential risk factors and short-term prognosis for SIRS after thermal ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Data from patients with HCC who underwent thermal ablation in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2015 and August 2021 were retrieved from the perioperative database. Pre-, intra- and postoperative data between SIRS group and non-SIRS group were compared and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for SIRS after thermal ablation. Results: A total of 1491 patients were enrolled and 234 (15.7 %) patients developed SIRS after thermal ablation. Compared with those without SIRS, patients with SIRS had a longer hospital stay, higher hospitalization costs and higher risk of more severe postoperative complications. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, current smoking (OR 1.58, 95 %CI 1.09-2.29), decreased HCT (OR 1.51,95 %CI 1.11-2.04), NEUT < 1.5 × 109/L(OR 1.74, 95 %CI 1.14-2.65), NEUT% < 0.5 or > 0.7 (OR 1.36, 95 %CI 1.01-1.83) and PT > 16.3s (OR 2.42, 95 %CI 1.57-3.74) were significantly associated with postoperative SIRS. Conclusions: Current smoking, decreased HCT, neutropenia, abnormal percentage of neutrophils and prolonged PT are the independent risk factors for SIRS after thermal ablation of HCC, which worsens outcomes of patients. This study can help identify high-risk population and guide appropriate care so as to reduce the incidence of postoperative SIRS.

The frequency and risk factors of major complications after thermal ablation of liver tumours in 2,084 ablation sessions.

Background: To assess the frequency of major complications after thermal ablation of liver tumours and to determine risk factors for adverse events. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted between January 2015 and January 2021. A total of 2,084 thermal ablation sessions in 1,592 patients with primary and metastatic liver tumours were evaluated. The frequency of major complications was evaluated according to the Society of Interventional Radiology Standards, and putative predictors of adverse events were analysed using simple and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Thermal ablation-related mortality was 0.1% (2/2,084), with an overall major complication rate of 5.6% (117/2,084). The most frequent major complication was symptomatic pleural effusion (2.9%, 60/2,084). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a total maximum diameter of lesions >3 cm, microwave ablation (MWA) and MWA combined with radiofrequency ablation, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and postoperative systemic inflammatory response syndrome were independent prognostic factors for major complications. Conclusions: Thermal ablation of liver tumours is a safe procedure with an acceptable incidence of major complications. The risk factors identified in this study will help to stratify high-risk patients.

Intra-procedural real-time ultrasound fusion imaging improves the therapeutic effect and safety of liver tumor ablation in difficult cases.

In certain difficult cases involving tumors unclear in B-mode ultrasound or tumors in a high-risk location, image-guided liver tumor thermal ablation was previously contraindicated. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the value of intra-procedural ultrasound fusion imaging in improving the therapeutic effect and safety of liver tumor ablation in difficult cases. A total of 502 patients (441 males and 61 females, aged 52 ± 11 years) with 805 liver tumors (16 ± 6 mm; range, 4-29 mm) who underwent thermal ablation with intra-procedural fusion imaging from October 2010 to June 2018 in our hospital were enrolled. Fusion imaging was employed for targeting, puncture guidance and immediate evaluation of the therapeutic response. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed one month after ablation and every 3~6 months in the follow-up period. 511 and 294 liver tumors were in classified in the difficult case group and the non-difficult case group, respectively. The technical efficacy rate was 99.4% (800/805), and no difference was found between the two groups (P=0.658). No significant difference in the local tumor progression rate was found between the difficult case group (1 year: 3.2%; 3 years: 7.6%; 5 years: 7.6%) and non-difficult case group (1 year: 2.1%; 3 years: 5.5%; 5 years: 11.6%) (P=0.874). The major complication rate was 1.8% (11/608). Injury to adjacent organs occurred in only 1 patient who sustained a bile duct injury. We conclude that intra-procedural fusion imaging can improve the therapeutic efficacy and safety of thermal ablation in difficult cases and may expand the indications for thermal ablation.