Abstract
Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) was applied to 258 lesions in 205 patients with hepatocellular carcinomas 3 cm or less in diameter (small HCC) between Aug. 1983 and Aug. 1995. In 118 (95.9%) main lesions of 123 HCC patients who underwent a contrast enhanced CT before and after PEI, CT showed HCC lesions changed to avascular ones both early and late phases that indicating complete necrosis. The 1-, 3- , 5-, and 7-year survival rates after PEI were 97.4%, 67.2%, 47.3% and 24.5% respectively. Recurrence occurred in hepatic areas different from the original lesion in 24.4% in one year and 64.3% in three years after PEI. For such recurrence PEI alone was then repeated in 51.7% of 120 patients. Because of anti-tumor therapeutic effect, minimal damage to the liver, PEI might be considered as a viable alternative to surgery for most patients with small HCC.
