Objective: To explore the validity and clinical feasibility of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in non-invasive therapy for liver cancer, as well as the complications and precaution after the treatment.
Methods: A total of 46 cases of liver cancer in our hospital were treated with the JC-28 HIFU system from July 2002 to September 2003. After general anesthesia, the patients were treated by different power of the system using the adjustable transducer for therapy at different angle. The therapeutic time was set according to the volume of tumor and the gray change of ultrasound. The effects of treatment were evaluated by testing the hepatic function, by biopsy and color Doppler ultrasound, by the change in tumor volume, serum AFP, and by life-table analysis.
Results: Forty-six cases of liver cancer received HIFU treatments including thirty-four full-covered treatments and twelve part-covered treatments. All the patients felt cauterizing pain and could recover after local cool compress. The clinical symptoms were alleviated. The level of AFP declined. The focuses were reduced. The blood supply decreased or disappeared. Only one patient died of lung embolism. All the other patients were followed up. In the late investigation, the effective rate of the function test (MRI/CT, color ultrasound) was 89.1% (41/46), the descendent rate of the tumor sign was 73.3% (11/15), the recrudescent rate of the local focus was 21.7% (10/46), the alleviative rate of the pain was 82.6% (38/46), the one-year surviving rate was 50.84%.
Conclusion: HIFU is effective and feasible for the treatment of liver cancer. It is especially useful in treating the patients who lost the chance to undergo surgical operations.