Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for evaluating the local effect of radiofrequency ablation combined with percutaneous ethanol injection for liver cancer

Objective The therapeutic effect of radiofrequency ablation(RFA) combined with percutaneous ethanol injection(PEI) on liver cancer is difficult to be evaluated by conventional ultrasound.This study aimed to investigate the clinical value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) in evaluating the local therapeutic efficacy of RFA combined with PEI for liver cancer.Methods We examined 194 lesions in 167 cases of liver cancer by CEUS after RF and/or PEI,and compared the results with those of color Doppler ultrasound(CDUS) and contrast-enhanced CT.Results The rates of tumor necrosis after PEI,RF and RF combined with PEI for liver cancer were 73.7,82.3 and 93.5%,respectively.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of CEUS in detecting tumor complete deactivation after treatment were 98.7,89.7 and 96.9%,and those of CDUS were 88.4,66.7 and 84%,respectively.Conclusion RF combined with PEI is a more effective method for the treatment of liver cancer than either RF or PEI alone.CEUS can be a gold standard in evaluating the treatment effect of liver cancer.