<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_raon-2017-0028_s_023">
<h3>Background</h3>
<p>During ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), high echoic areas due to RFA-induced microbubbles can help calculate the extent of ablation. However, these areas also decrease visualization of target tumors, making it difficult to assess whether they completely cover the tumors. To estimate the effects of RFA more precisely, we used an image fusion system (IFS).</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2017-0028_s_024">
<h3>Patients and methods</h3>
<p>We enrolled patients with a single HCC who received RFA with or without the IFS. In the IFS group, we drew a spherical marker along the contour of a target tumor on reference images immediately after administering RFA so that the synchronized spherical marker represented the contour of the target tumor on real-time ultrasound images. When the high echoic area completely covered the marker, we considered the ablation to be complete. We compared outcomes between the IFS and control groups.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2017-0028_s_025">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>We enrolled 25 patients and 20 controls, and the baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. The complete ablation rates during the first RFA session were significantly higher in the IFS group compared with those in the control group (88.0% <italic>vs</italic>. 60.0%, <italic>P</italic> = 0.041). The number of RFA sessions was significantly smaller in the IFS group compared with that in the control group (1.1 ± 0.3 <italic>vs</italic>. 1.5 ± 0.7, <italic>P</italic> = 0.016).</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2017-0028_s_026">
<h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>The study suggested that the IFS enables a more precise estimation of the effects of RFA on HCC, contributing to enhanced treatment efficacy and minimized patient burden.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Background
During ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), high echoic areas due to RFA-induced microbubbles can help calculate the extent of ablation. However, these areas also decrease visualization of target tumors, making it difficult to assess whether they completely cover the tumors. To estimate the effects of RFA more precisely, we used an image fusion system (IFS).


Patients and methods
We enrolled patients with a single HCC who received RFA with or without the IFS. In the IFS group, we drew a spherical marker along the contour of a target tumor on reference images immediately after administering RFA so that the synchronized spherical marker represented the contour of the target tumor on real-time ultrasound images. When the high echoic area completely covered the marker, we considered the ablation to be complete. We compared outcomes between the IFS and control groups.


Results
We enrolled 25 patients and 20 controls, and the baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. The complete ablation rates during the first RFA session were significantly higher in the IFS group compared with those in the control group (88.0% vs. 60.0%, P = 0.041). The number of RFA sessions was significantly smaller in the IFS group compared with that in the control group (1.1 ± 0.3 vs. 1.5 ± 0.7, P = 0.016).


Conclusions
The study suggested that the IFS enables a more precise estimation of the effects of RFA on HCC, contributing to enhanced treatment efficacy and minimized patient burden.

An image fusion system for estimating the therapeutic effects of radiofrequency ablation on hepatocellular carcinoma

Radiology and Oncology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Background
During ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), high echoic areas due to RFA-induced microbubbles can help...

An image fusion system for estimating the therapeutic effects of radiofrequency ablation on hepatocellular carcinoma

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Jul 18, 2017

Page range: 263 - 269

Received: Dec 03, 2016

Accepted: Jun 29, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/raon-2017-0028

© 2017 Nobuyuki Toshikuni, Yasuhiro Matsue, Kazuaki Ozaki, Kaho Yamada, Nobuhiko Hayashi, Mutsumi Tsuchishima, Mikihiro Tsutsumi

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.