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Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)

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Percutaneous Tumor Ablation in Medical Radiology

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Diagn Imaging))

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Abstract

A diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) implies a poor prognosis. HCC is the cause of 250,000 deaths worldwide each year. Early HCC is typically clinically silent, and the disease is often well advanced at the first manifestation. Since the introduction of surveillance in patients at high risk of developing HCC, the diagnosis of small HCC has increased, especially in endemic areas such as in parts of Asia. Without treatment, there is a 5-year survival rate of less than 5% (Llovet et al. 1999b; Ulner 2000). According to the World Health Organization, by the year 2010, HCC will have surpassed lung cancer as the foremost cause of cancer mortality. The increasing incidence may be related to the wide spread transmission of viral hepatitis, specifically of types B and C, during the 1970s and early 1980s, when illicit use of intravenous narcotics, needle sharing, unsafe sexual activity, and transfusion of unsafe blood and blood products were common practices (Bruix et al. 2001). Patients with liver cirrhosis are at greatest risk for developing HCC and should be monitored every 6 months to detect the tumor at an asymptomatic stage (Bruix and Llovet 2002).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospitals — Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany

    Tobias F. Jakobs MD, Ralf-Thorsten Hoffmann MD & Maximilian F. Reiser MD (Professor)

  2. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum Bogenhausen, Engelschalkinger Strasse 77, 81925, Munich, Germany

    Thomas K. Helmberger MD (Professor)

Authors
  1. Tobias F. Jakobs MD
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  2. Ralf-Thorsten Hoffmann MD
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  3. Maximilian F. Reiser MD
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  4. Thomas K. Helmberger MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology University Hospital, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Thomas J. Vogl MD (Professor) & Martin G. Mack MD (PD) (Professor) &  (PD)

  2. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Klinikum Bogenhausen, Academic Teaching, Hospital of the Technical University Munich, Engelschalkingerstrasse 77, 81925, Munich, Germany

    Thomas K. Helmberger MD (Professor) (Professor)

  3. Department of Clinical Radiology University Hospitals — Grosshadern and Innenstadt, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany

    Maximilian F. Reiser MD (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Jakobs, T.F., Hoffmann, RT., Reiser, M.F., Helmberger, T.K. (2008). Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA). In: Vogl, T.J., Helmberger, T.K., Mack, M.G., Reiser, M.F. (eds) Percutaneous Tumor Ablation in Medical Radiology. Medical Radiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68250-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68250-9_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-22518-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-68250-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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