Key Points
- Researchers conducted a study to compare high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) with microwave ablation (MWA) for the treatment of small metastatic liver tumors.
- When compared with MWA, HIFU was safe and feasible and associated with lower hospitalization costs.
Researchers from the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery at Suining Central Hospital in Suining, China, conducted a retrospective study to compare high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) with microwave ablation (MWA) for the treatment of small metastatic liver tumors in 58 patients hospitalized from 2016–2021. This comparative study evaluated the feasibility, safety, efficacy, and costs of each treatment.
The group found HIFU to be a safe and feasible treatment for small liver metastatic tumors. When compared with MWA, HIFU was associated with lower hospitalization costs.
A total of 30 patients who underwent MWA were matched and compared with 28 patients who received HIFU. The matching process employed both demographic and clinical characteristics. Treating physicians used Chongqing Haifu’s Model JC Focused Ultrasound Tumor Treatment System to provide the HIFU treatments. The MWA equipment, ECO-100A1 microwave therapeutic instrument and microwave ablation needle, was manufactured by Nanjing Yigao Microwave System Engineering Co., LTD.
Although the tumor ablation rate, clinical response and control rate, time of postoperative hospitalization, rate of postoperative complications, and the 1- and 3-year survival rates were not significantly different between the two groups of patients, those in the HIFU group had the lower costs for hospitalization despite longer operation times.
Because of size and location of metastatic liver lesions, surgical resection is an option for only about 15% of patients with the disease; therefore, local ablation methods, including MWA and HIFU are needed.
See the Journal of International Medical Research (Open Access)