Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34231009›Full record

ArticleCardiovascular and interventional radiology2021

Microwave Ablation as Bridging Therapy for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Awaiting Liver Transplant: A Single Center Experience.

Avik Som, Nicholas J Reid, John DiCapua, Rory L Cochran, Thomas An, Raul Uppot, Omar Zurkiya, Eric Wehrenberg-Klee, Sanjeeva Kalva, Ronald S Arellano

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Cardiovascular and interventional radiology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Incidental Combined Hepatocellular-Cholangiocarcinoma in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Matched Cohort Study.Transplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Microwave ablation as a primary versus secondary treatment for hepatocellular carcinomaDiagnostic and interventional radiology (Ankara, Turkey) · 2023
    Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Avik Som *Division of Interventional Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRB 293, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Nicholas J Reid *Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Ave, Boston, MA, 02120, USA.
John DiCapuaDivision of Interventional Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRB 293, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Rory L CochranDivision of Interventional Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRB 293, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Thomas AnDivision of Interventional Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRB 293, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Raul UppotDivision of Interventional Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRB 293, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Omar ZurkiyaDivision of Interventional Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRB 293, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Eric Wehrenberg-KleeDivision of Interventional Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRB 293, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Sanjeeva KalvaDivision of Interventional Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRB 293, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Ronald S ArellanoDivision of Interventional Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRB 293, Boston, MA, 02114, USA. rarellano@mgh.harvard.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9232-4069

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo determine the pathologic response of computed tomography-guided percutaneous microwave ablation as bridging therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma awaiting liver transplant, and its subsequent effect on survival. MATERIALS AND

methodsA single-center retrospective analysis was conducted on 62 patients (M:F = 50:12) with mean age of 59.6 years ± 7.2 months (SD). Sixty-four total MWA procedures were performed for hepatocellular carcinomas within Milan criteria as bridging therapy to subsequent orthotopic liver transplant between August 2014 and September 2018. The pathology reports of the explanted livers were reviewed to assess for residual disease. Residual disease was categorized as complete or incomplete necrosis. Patient demographics, tumor/procedural characteristics, and laboratory values were evaluated. Survival from time of ablation and time of transplantation were recorded and compared between cohorts using log rank tests.

resultsThe mean tumor size was 2.4 cm ± 0.7 cm (SD), (range = 1-4.6 cm). 32 (50%) cases required hydrodissection. Histopathologic necrosis was seen in 66% of cases at time of liver transplantation. Median time to liver transplant post-MWA was 12.6 months. [IQR = 8.6-14.8 months]. The median survival from ablation was 60.8 months [IQR = 45.5-73.7 months], and the median survival from transplant was 49.3 months [IQR = 33.7-60.1 months]. There was no significant difference in survival for patients with complete versus incomplete necrosis from ablation or liver transplant (p = 0.49, p = 0.46, respectively).

conclusionsComputed tomography-guided percutaneous microwave ablation is an effective bridge to orthotopic liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. CEBM LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3, non-randomized controlled cohort study/follow-up study.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularCatheter AblationLiver NeoplasmsLiver TransplantationCohort StudiesFollow-Up StudiesHumansMicrowavesMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeHepatocellular carcinomaLiver transplantMicrowave ablation

Identifiers

PMID34231009

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.