Comparison between radiofrequency ablation and lobectomy in hepatoma in a single lobe of the liver

Abstract

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignancy in the world and it is responsible for one million deaths annually, this disease is killing all patients within year without treatment. Since the introduction of surveillance in patients at high risk of Hepatocellular carcinoma, the diagnosis of small Hepatocellular carcinoma has increased, especially in endemic areas such as Korea. The association between HCC and Hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) infection or alcoholism has been clearly demonstrated. Also it is more common in patients with chronic liver disease especially liver cirrhosis. Although the choice of optimal therapy is not always easy, surgical resection has been accepted as the treatment of choice for small Hepatocellular carcinoma. However, surgery is only suitable for 9% to 27% of patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma because of their poor hepatic reserve caused by underlying chronic liver disease or multifocal distribution of tumor nodules or other medical conditions.