We now evaluated our therapeutic outcomes of open microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy (MCT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The subjects were 23 patients for whom we underwent open MCT from November 1992 to December 2000. Postoperative three-year survival rate in Stage III cases for which open MCT was performed was 45.5%. In a comparison of the cumulative survival rates, there is no significant difference between the cases of the open MCT and hepatic resection. Local recurrence of treated area was experienced in only one case. This result suggested that open MCT is good for local ablation therapy for HCC. However, we actually experienced the lethal complications such as hepatic failure and pyothorax. We must be careful for extending the indication of open MCT.
