Study for recurrences of hepatocellular carcinoma after laparoscopic microwave coagulation therapy

Abstract

From April 1995 to January 2001, we treated 52 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) of 47 patients by laparoscopic microwave coagulation (LMC). The efficacy of LMC was evaluated by dynamic CT and 5 HCC were required for additional therapy. The other 45 HCC seemed to be coagulated sufficiently. The number of firstly treated cases with solitary HCC was 21 among 47 patients treated by LMC. In follow-up observation of these 21 cases, 4 cases developed local recurrences. In two of these four cases, HCC were located near large vessels, and local recurrences ware developed because viable portion of HCC were considered to be resisted near large vessels. Thus, HCC near large vessels is needed for careful coagulation because viable portion of HCC can be resisted near large vessels.