Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: Long-term results

The authors the long-term outcome of percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). All patients were followed after therapy with clinical examinations, laboratory tests, and imaging studies performed at regular time intervals. The follow-up period ranged 2 to 94 months. The analysis of the survival curves of the treated patients confirms the effectiveness of percutaneous ethanol injection in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. This therapeutic approach is particularly indicated for patients with a single lesion 3 cm or less in greatest diameter, as in these cases the long term results of percutaneous ethanol injection are comparable to those reported in the best surgical series published in the literature