Percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

We evaluated the efficacy of percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) as compared with hepatectomy in 19 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In 6 patients with tumors more than 3 cm in diameter, coagulation was inadequate after a single session of PMCT. Patients with multiple tumors had recurrence within 1 year. For single tumors 3 cm or less in diameter, the therapeutic effectiveness of PMCT was comparable to that of hepatectomy in cumulative survival and cancer-free survival rates. We conclude that PMCT should be used in the initial treatment of HCC only in patients with single tumors of up to 3 cm in diameter. Surgical removal is recommended for tumors of more than 3 cm in diameter.