RFA is a safe, well-tolerated, and effective treatment to achieve tumor destruction in patients with unresectable hepatic malignancies. Because patients are at risk for the development of new metastatic disease after RFA, multimodality treatment approaches that include RFA should be investigated.

ObjectiveTo determine the treatment efficacy, safety, local tumor control, and complications related to radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with cirrhosis and unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Summary Background DataMost patients with HCC are not candidates for resection because of tumor size, location, or hepatic dysfunction related to cirrhosis. RFA is a technique that permits in situ destruction of tumors by means of local tissue heating. MethodsOne hundred ten patients with cirrhosis and HCC (Child class A, 50; B, 31; C, 29) were treated during a prospective study using RFA. Patients were treated with RFA using an open laparotomy, laparoscopic, or percutaneous approach with ultrasound guidance to place the RF needle electrode into the hepatic tumors. All patients were followed up at regular intervals to detect treatment-related complications or recurrence of disease. ResultsAll 110 patients were followed up for at least 12 months after RFA (median follow-up 19 months). Percutaneous or intraoperative RFA was performed in 76 (69%) and 34 patients (31%), respectively. A total of 149 discrete HCC tumor nodules were treated with RFA. The median diameter of tumors treated percutaneously (2.8 cm) was smaller than that of lesions treated during laparotomy (4.6 cm). Local tumor recurrence at the RFA site developed in four patients (3.6%); recurrent HCC subsequently developed in other areas of the liver in all four. New liver tumors or extrahepatic metastases developed in 50 patients (45.5%), but 56 patients (50.9%) had no evidence of recurrence. There were no treatment-related deaths, but complications developed in 14 patients (12.7%) after RFA.

Hepatic tumor RFA can be performed with low mortality and morbidity rates. Though relatively rare, late complications can develop and physicians performing hepatic RFA must be cognizant of these delayed treatment-related problems.

Elimination of all detectable plasma arginine in patients with HCC was well tolerated and seemed to be effective in the treatment of some patients with HCC. Further testing of ADI-SS PEG 20,000 mw in a larger population of individuals with HCC as well as other human tumors auxotrophic for arginine is warranted.