Koichi Doi1, Toru Beppu2, Takatoshi Ishiko1, Akira Chikamoto1, Hiromitsu Hayashi1, Katsunori Imai1, Hidetoshi Nitta1, Yoshifumi Baba1, Toshiro Masuda1, Kazutoshi Okabe1, Masafumi Kuramoto1, Keisuke Kudo3, Kenichi Ogata3, Tetsufumi Ohchi3, Hiroshi Takamori1, Ken Kikuchi4, Hideo Baba5. 1. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan. 2. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan Department of Multidisciplinary Treatment for Gastroenterological Cancer, Kumamoto University Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan. 3. Department of Surgery, Miyazaki Prefectural Nobeoka Hospital, Miyazaki, Japan. 4. Medical Quality Management Center, Graduate School of Social and Cultural Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan. 5. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan hdobaba@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The number of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has increased in Japan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 280 patients with HCC treated with endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) were enrolled in the present study. The patients were divided into two groups, an elderly group (≥ 70 years) and a non-elderly group (<70 years) and their clinical and survival data were compared. RESULTS: The cumulative overall survival rates in the elderly and non-elderly groups were equivalent: 73% and 70% at three years and 57% and 52% at five years, respectively (p=0.900). The disease-free survival rates were 21% and 23% at three years and 17% and 14% at five years, respectively (p=0.628). No significant effects were observed between the two groups due to any of the covariates in the survival analysis (all p-values for interaction ≥ 0.19). The complication rates were also comparable: 5.1% in the elderly group and 8.6% in the non-elderly group. CONCLUSION: ERFA is safe and provides excellent therapeutic effects in elderly as well as non-elderly patients with HCC. Copyright
BACKGROUND: The number of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has increased in Japan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 280 patients with HCC treated with endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) were enrolled in the present study. The patients were divided into two groups, an elderly group (≥ 70 years) and a non-elderly group (<70 years) and their clinical and survival data were compared. RESULTS: The cumulative overall survival rates in the elderly and non-elderly groups were equivalent: 73% and 70% at three years and 57% and 52% at five years, respectively (p=0.900). The disease-free survival rates were 21% and 23% at three years and 17% and 14% at five years, respectively (p=0.628). No significant effects were observed between the two groups due to any of the covariates in the survival analysis (all p-values for interaction ≥ 0.19). The complication rates were also comparable: 5.1% in the elderly group and 8.6% in the non-elderly group. CONCLUSION: ERFA is safe and provides excellent therapeutic effects in elderly as well as non-elderly patients with HCC. Copyright