Multipronged ethanol ablation combined with TACE for intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose: To retrospectively investigate the efficacy of multipronged ethanol ablation with or without transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (3.1-5.0 cm in diameter) at high-risk locations .Material and methods: From March 2009 to April 2014, 25 consecutive patients with intermediate HCC who underwent multipronged ethanol ablation combined with TACE were included in the combination treatment group, while 50 patients who underwent multipronged ethanol ablation alone were included in the control group.Results: Primary technique effectiveness was achieved in 70 patients (25/25, 100% in the combination treatment group; 45/50, 90% in the control group; p = .162). The local tumor progression (LTP) rates at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years were 8.0%, 24.0%, 24.0%, and 24.0% in the combination treatment group, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group (24.4%, 44.1%, 66.5% and 66.5%, respectively; p = .043). However, no significant differences of overall survival and disease-free survival were found between the two groups (p = .996 and .974, respectively).Conclusion: Multipronged ethanol ablation combined with TACE could improve local tumor control for patients with intermediate HCC at high-risk locations when compared with multipronged ethanol ablation alone, although the survival outcomes were comparable.