Ablation therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: a comparative study between radiofrequency and microwave ablation.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to retrospectively evaluate and compare the therapeutic response of Radiofrequency (RF) and Microwave (MW) ablation therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: 53 consecutive patients (42 males, 11 females; mean age 59 years, range: 40-68, SD: 4.2) underwent CT-guided percutaneous RF and MW ablation of 68 HCC liver lesions.

Thermal ablation of liver metastases from colorectal cancer: radiofrequency, microwave and laser ablation therapies.

Surgery is currently considered the treatment of choice for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) when resectable. The majority of these patients can also benefit from systemic chemotherapy. Recently, local or regional therapies such as thermal ablations have been used with acceptable outcomes.

Magnetic resonance temperature imaging of laser-induced thermotherapy: assessment of fast sequences in ex vivo porcine liver.

Aim: To evaluate magnetic resonance sequences for T(1) and proton resonance frequency (PRF) thermometry during laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) in liver tissue.

Materials & Methods: During LITT (1064 nm; 30 W; 3-cm diffuser; 2-3 min) in ex vivo porcine liver, temperature was measured (25-70°C) utilizing a fiberoptic thermometer and MRI was performed with a 1.5-T scanner through the following sequences: segmented echo planar imaging (seg-EPI) for the PRF method; fast low-angle shot (FLASH), inversion-recovery turbo FLASH (IRTF), saturation-recovery turbo FLASH (SRTF) and true-fast imaging (TRUFI) for the T(1) method.

Effect of contrast material on radiation dose in an adult cardiac dual-energy CT using retrospective ECG-gating.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of contrast material and retrospective ECG-gating on radiation dose in an adult cardiac dual-energy computed tomography (DECT). Sixty-two patients underwent CT cardiac examination with a Somatom Definition Flash DECT using tube voltages of 100 kV without filter and 140 kV with a tin filter (mean effective mA s: arterial 72.39 and 62.

Temperature imaging of laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) by MRI: evaluation of different sequences in phantom.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate magnetic resonance (MR) temperature imaging of the laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) comparing the proton resonance frequency (PRF) and T 1 thermometry methods. LITT was applied to a liver-mimicking acrylamide gel phantom. Temperature rise up to 70 °C was measured using a MR-compatible fiber-optic thermometer.

Repetitive chemoembolization of hypovascular liver metastases from the most common primary sites.

Aim: To evaluate tumor response in patients with hypovascular liver metastases from the most common primary sites treated with chemoembolization.

Materials & Methods: Chemoembolization was performed in 190 patients (five groups) who had hypovascular liver metastases from the colon (n = 66), breast (n = 40), uveal malignant melanoma (n = 20), pancreas (n = 48) and stomach (n = 16). Surgical resection of primary sites had been performed for all included patients.

Thermal ablation therapies in patients with breast cancer liver metastases: a review.

Background: The liver is involved in about half of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Unfortunately systemic chemotherapy as the treatment of choice is limited. Due to multifocality and/or insufficient remnant liver volume, the majority of liver metastases are also unresectable.

Retrospective study on the use of different protocols for repeated transarterial chemoembolization in the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate local tumor control and survival rate after repeated transarterial chemoembolization using two different protocols in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

Materials And Methods: A total of 190 patients (mean, 68 years) with HCC were repeatedly treated with transarterial chemoembolization in 4-week intervals. The chemotherapy protocol consisted of mitomycin C alone (n = 111) and mitomycin C with gemcitabine (n = 79).

Liver metastases of pancreatic cancer: role of repetitive transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on tumor response and survival.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of chemoembolization on pancreatic cancer liver metastases.

Method: Thirty-two patients with pancreatic cancer liver metastases retrospectively underwent chemoembolization (4- to 8-week intervals). Size-based evaluation (response evaluation criteria in solid tumors [RECIST]) and survival indexes were assessed overall and for sex and number of lesions.

A liver-mimicking MRI phantom for thermal ablation experiments.

Purpose: To develop a liver-mimicking MRI gel phantom for use in the development of temperature mapping and coagulation progress visualization tools needed for the thermal tumor ablation methods, including laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Methods: A base solution with an acrylamide concentration of 30 vol. % was prepared.