Performing thermal ablations for hepatomas – is it a worthy skill for hepatologists?

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: The role of hepatologists in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not well defined. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the feasibility of hepatology-directed HCC treatment. Patients: We evaluated 107 patients with newly diagnosed HCC, undergoing locoregional therapy as the first therapy between January 2017 and February 2019. Results: The hepatologist directly participated in most of the microwave ablations. This descriptive cross-sectional study reveals the feasibility of the hepatologist-directed thermal ablation therapy, with decent outcome including response rate. Conclusions: Hepatologists can play a key role in the management of HCC in the current era of multidisciplinary team approach. Training fellows in performing ultrasound guided thermal ablation techniques would be one step forward in this direction.

Keywords

• Thermal ablation
• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Ultrasound guided
• Multidisciplinary team approach