Laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation of solitary small hepatocellular carcinoma in the caudate lobe

Abstract Objective Surgical resection in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) originating in the caudate lobe is challenging because of its deep location in the liver and possibly worse prognosis. We evaluated the overall survival of patients with solitary caudate small HCC who underwent laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Methods This is a retrospective study on patients who underwent laparoscopic RFA (RFA) for solitary small HCC. Results Twenty-seven (27) patients underwent laparoscopic caudate lobe RFA for solitary small HCC. The average tumor size was 2.8 cm. The overall survival rates were 96.3%, 88.9%, 74.1%, 74.1% and 62.9% at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years respectively. The disease-free survival after RFA was 92.6%, 52.9%, 44.4%, 33.3% and 33.3% at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years respectively. Most common postoperative complication was pleural effusion (7/27, 25.9%), and followed by transient hemoglobinuria (2/27, 7.4%). Conclusions Laparoscopic RFA for caudate lobe small HCC is a safe and feasible procedure without perioperative mortality. Through a systematic review of other therapeutic options on caudate HCC, its overall outcome is comparable to that of surgical resection.