Liver Research (Dec 2020)
Efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment in patients aged ≥80 years
Abstract
Background: Although radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it remains unclear whether RFA achieves favorable outcomes in patients aged ≥80 years. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of RFA for HCC in patients aged ≥80 years. Methods: A total of 512 naïve patients with HCC who had undergone RFA from January 2001 to December 2016 were enrolled. They were categorized into the ≥80-year-old group and the control group (aged <80 years). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoints were recurrence-free survival, complications associated with RFA, and cause of death. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust for patients’ sex, liver function, tumor number, tumor diameter, and hepatitis C virus infection. Finally, the data of 68 patients in the ≥80-year-old group and 68 in the control group were analyzed; their baseline characteristics, primary endpoint, and secondary endpoints were compared. Results: There were significant differences in the alanine aminotransferase level and prothrombin time between the groups. The cumulative OS rate was not significantly different between the groups (P = 0.83): 98.5%, 87.9%, and 50.5% in the ≥80-year-old group and 94.1%, 72.8%, and 49.3% in the control group at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. Age ≥80 years was not significantly associated with OS in multivariate analyses. Liver-related death occurred in 17 patients in the ≥80 year-old group and in 16 patients in the control group (P = 1.00). Conclusions: RFA is safe and effective for the treatment of patients with HCC aged ≥ 80 years.
