Percutaneous Microwave Ablation for Liver Tumors Adjacent to Large Vessels

Abstract

Traditionally, hepatic resection is the first-line treatment option for liver tumors, and the 5-year survival rate is up to 60–80 %. However, because of only partial patients being suitable for surgery and the high recurrence rate, minimally invasive treatment including transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and local thermal ablation techniques develops rapidly these years. Among the measures, radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation have already been recommended as alternatives for the treatment of liver tumors. However, some researchers hold the view that central tumors close to the hepatic hilum or large vessels are unsuitable for percutaneous thermal ablation because of the risk of injuring adjacent bile ducts, and an important inherent effect of heat-sink from large vessels on thermal ablation may influence the treatment result for these tumors. At present, some researchers have already tried to put radiofrequency ablation into practice for treating liver tumors adjacent to large vessels with satisfying results. As another kind of thermal ablation techniques, microwave ablation has its special features, such as higher intratumoral temperatures, larger ablation zones, less ablation time, and less dependence on the electrical conductivities of tissue. These advantages may make microwave ablation treatment less affected by heat-sink. In this chapter, we will discuss the effectiveness and safety of percutaneous microwave ablation for liver tumors adjacent to large vessels.