Journal of Liver Cancer

Original Article

Microwave ablation vs. liver resection for patients with hepatocellular carcinomas: Hyundam Gu, Yeonjoo Seo, Dong Jin Chung, Kwang Yeol Paik, Seung Kew Yoon, Jihye Lim; J Liver Cancer. 2025;25(1):99-108. Published online February 7, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.17998/jlc.2025.02.02

8,353 Views
140 Downloads
3 Web of Science
3 Citations

Backgrounds/Aims
Microwave ablation (MWA) is an emerging ablative therapy that surpasses previous methods by achieving higher temperatures and creating larger ablation zones within shorter periods. This study compared the therapeutic outcomes of MWA with those of liver resection in real-world clinical practice.
Methods
A total of 178 patients with 259 nodules who underwent MWA or liver resection between January 2015 and July 2023 were enrolled. Local tumor progression (LTP)-free survival, overall progression (OP)-free survival, and overall survival (OS) were assessed based on the treatment modality for the index nodule.
Results
Of the 178 patients, 134 with 214 nodules underwent MWA, and 44 with 45 nodules underwent liver resection. The median follow-up period was 2.0±1.5 years. The annual incidence of LTP was 3.7% for MWA and 1.4% for liver resection. Treatment modality did not significantly affect LTP-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-2.69; P=0.511). For nodules larger than 3 cm, LTP-free survival was not affected by the treatment modality. Similarly, OP-free survival and OS were not influenced by treatment modality.
Conclusions
MWA and liver resection demonstrated comparable treatment outcomes in terms of local tumor control, overall recurrence, and survival. MWA may be an alternative treatment option for select patients; however, further studies are necessary to generalize these findings.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Pioneering efficient deep learning architectures for enhanced hepatocellular carcinoma prediction and clinical translation
Sami Akbulut, Cemil Colak
World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Novel method of simulation training for ultrasound-guided microwave ablation in liver surgery
Mohamed Aabrez Shams, Muhammad Taha Kamal, Christodoulos Neophytou, David C Bartlett, Nikolaos Chatzizacharias, Bobby V Dasari, Keith J Roberts, Ravi Marudanayagam, Robert P Sutcliffe, Syed Soulat Raza
BMJ Innovations.2026; : bmjinnov-2025-001543. CrossRef
Efficacy analysis of ultrasound-guided percutaneous hepatic microwave ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma
Pei Liu, Weirong Huang, Yimei Ji
Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences.2025; 18(4): 101960. CrossRef

Recommendation and Guideline

Local ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: 2024 expert consensus-based practical recommendation of the Korean Liver Cancer Association: Seungchul Han, Pil Soo Sung, Soo Young Park, Jin Woong Kim, Hyun Pyo Hong, Jung-Hee Yoon, Dong Jin Chung, Joon Ho Kwon, Sanghyeok Lim, Jae Hyun Kim, Seung Kak Shin, Tae Hyung Kim, Dong Ho Lee, Jong Young Choi; J Liver Cancer. 2024;24(2):131-144. Published online August 30, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.17998/jlc.2024.08.04

23,212 Views
643 Downloads
12 Web of Science
12 Citations

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material

Local ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a non-surgical option that directly targets and destroys tumor cells, has advanced significantly since the 1990s. Therapies with different energy sources, such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation, employ different mechanisms to induce tumor necrosis. The precision, safety, and effectiveness of these therapies have increased with advances in guiding technologies and device improvements. Consequently, local ablation has become the firstline treatment for early-stage HCC. The lack of organized evidence and expert opinions regarding patient selection, pre-procedure preparation, procedural methods, swift post-treatment evaluation, and follow-up has resulted in clinicians following varied practices. Therefore, an expert consensus-based practical recommendation for local ablation was developed by a group of experts in radiology and hepatology from the Research Committee of the Korean Liver Cancer Association in collaboration with the Korean Society of Image-guided Tumor Ablation to provide useful information and guidance for performing local ablation and for the pre- and posttreatment management of patients.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Taiwan Academy of Tumor Ablation (TATA) consensus on hepatocellular carcinoma ablation
Ching-Wei Chang, Ming-Shun Wu, Wei-Yu Kao, Ming-Feng Chiang, Shih-Jer Hsu, Shen-Yung Wang, Chao-Hung Hung, Chih Horng Wu, San-Chi Chen, Yu-Ming Cheng, I-Cheng Lee, Yi-Chung Hsieh, Wei-Ting Chen, Chen-Chun Lin, Po-Chin Liang, Jen-I. Hwang, Shi-Ming Lin, Ka
Hepatology International.2026; 20(2): 240. CrossRef
Improved Detection of Small (<2 cm) Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Deep Learning-Based Synthetic CT Hepatic Arteriography: A Multi-Center External Validation Study
Jung Won Kwak, Sung Bum Cho, Ki Choon Sim, Jeong Woo Kim, In Young Choi, Yongwon Cho
Diagnostics.2026; 16(2): 343. CrossRef
Application of different energy ablations in the treatment of solid tumors
Liangliang Meng, Xiao Zhang, Xiaobo Zhang, YingtianWei, Yueyong Xiao
Med-X.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Liver resection versus radiofrequency ablation or transarterial chemoembolization for early multinodular BCLC-A hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Maria F. F. Viana, Arthur A. Braga, Lucas B. Carvalho, Danilo C. M. S. Vasconcellos, Bianca C. M. R. Alexandrino, Felipe J. F. Coimbra
Journal of Liver Cancer.2026; 26(1): 157. CrossRef
Microwave ablation vs. liver resection for patients with hepatocellular carcinomas
Hyundam Gu, Yeonjoo Seo, Dong Jin Chung, Kwang Yeol Paik, Seung Kew Yoon, Jihye Lim
Journal of Liver Cancer.2025; 25(1): 99. CrossRef
Evolving trends in epidemiology, etiology, and treatment patterns for hepatocellular carcinoma in South Korea
Soo Young Hwang, Ju Dong Yang
Journal of Liver Cancer.2025; 25(1): 4. CrossRef
Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma at specific anatomic sites of the liver: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Jiandong Zha, Fang Zhang, Tuoyu Cao, Shasha Li, Xuelian Shen, Liangliang Xu, Wenqi Chen
Frontiers in Surgery.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma at specific anatomic sites of the liver: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Yongsheng Fu, Qicong Zhu, Xin Zhao, Jingfen Lu, Wei Wang
BMC Gastroenterology.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Immunotherapy in GI Cancers: Lessons from Key Trials and Future Clinical Applications
Supriya Peshin, Faizan Bashir, Naga Anvesh Kodali, Adit Dharia, Sajida Zaiter, Sakshi Singal, Nagaishwarya Moka
Antibodies.2025; 14(3): 58. CrossRef
Liver Cancer: Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Based Integrated Therapeutic Approaches
Mythileeswari Lakshmikanthan, Sakthivel Muthu, John T. D. Caleb, Yuvaraj Maria Francis, Indra Neel Pulidindi
Bioengineering.2025; 12(8): 837. CrossRef
Asian Conference on Tumor Ablation Guidelines for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Shuichiro Shiina, Ryosuke Tateishi, Joon Il Choi, So Yeon Kim, Zhiqiang Meng, Lujun Shen, Sheng-Nan Lu, Jen-I. Hwang, Maki Tobari, Hitoshi Maruyama, Terguunbileg Batsaikhan, Qing Deng, Lariza Marie Canseco, Yoshinari Asaoka, Shi-Ming Lin, Kai-Wen Huang, H
Liver Cancer.2025; 14(5): 651. CrossRef
Practical consensus multi-specialty guidelines on image-guided ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma
David S. Lu
Journal of Liver Cancer.2024; 24(2): 120. CrossRef

First
Prev
Page of 1
Next
Last

Search