Percutaneous treatment of small hepatic tumors by an expandable RF needle electrode.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of expandable RF needle electrodes in the treatment of hepatic cancer.Thirty-seven patients, 23 of whom had 26 hepatocellular carcinoma nodules and 14 of whom had 19 hepatic metastatic nodules, underwent treatment by RF interstitial thermal ablation with expandable needle electrodes. Forty-five tumor nodules were treated in 64 RF interstitial thermal ablation sessions with 83 needle electrode insertions. The mean diameter of the tumor nodules was 2.5 cm (range, 1.1-3.5 cm). Immediate posttreatment tumor necrosis was evaluated by dynamic CT in all cases. Two patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and three patients with metastases underwent surgical resection 20-60 days after RF treatment. The remaining 32 patients were followed up clinically.The mean number of RF interstitial thermal ablation sessions to complete tumor nodule treatment was 1.4. Mean number of needle electrode insertions was 1.8. No complications were observed. Posttreatment dynamic CT s...