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Hepatocellular Cancer pp 171–183Cite as

Radiofrequency Ablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

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Part of the book series: Current Clinical Oncology ((CCO))

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major problem worldwide, with an estimated 1 million new cases diagnosed annually. Major risk factors are infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). In Asia, the risk is as high as 30–65 per 100,000 persons per year, whereas in the United States, the incidence is 2 per 100,000 persons per year (1). Although cirrhosis is not present in all cases, it has been estimated to be present 70–90% of the time (2–5). The annual conversion rate of cirrhosis to HCC is 3–6% (6). Therefore, any surgical therapy must consider not only the cancer but also the underlying liver function and reserve. It is often the degree of liver dysfunction or reserve that will determine the optimal treatment. Only 10–15% of patients with HCC are eligible for hepatic resection (7–9). At present, surgical resection or liver transplantation offers the only chance for cure in the small subset of patients eligible. Contraindications to resection include extrahepatic involvement; multifocal, bilobar disease; inadequate hepatic reserve; or overall poor clinical condition of the patient.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Liver Cancer Center, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA

    Martin Goodman MD & David A. Geller MD

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  1. Martin Goodman MD
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  2. David A. Geller MD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Liver Cancer Center, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA

    Brian I. Carr MD, FRCP, PhD

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© 2005 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Goodman, M., Geller, D.A. (2005). Radiofrequency Ablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. In: Carr, B.I. (eds) Hepatocellular Cancer. Current Clinical Oncology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-844-1_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59259-844-1_8

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-125-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-844-1

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