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. 2019 Aug 28;25(32):4614–4628. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i32.4614

Table 1.

Codified locoregional treatments: Indications, advantages and disadvantages

Indications Advantages Disadvantages
Ablation (RFA) BCLC-A patients Curative Low complication rates rates in HCC > 3 cm
New devices (MWA, Cryoablation, HIFU, Laser, IRE) Relatively unfeasible in “complex” sites/lesions
TACE BCLC-B patients without PVT Super-selective delivery Palliative
Great variety of materials Heterogeneous population
No standardization
Combined therapy (RFA + TACE) Selected BCLC-A/B patients Complimentary and sinergistic effect No standardization
Better than RFA and TACE alone
SIRT Selected BCLC-B/C patients not amenable for TACE or Sorafenib Super-selective delivery High costs

HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; RFA: Radiofrequency ablation; MWA: Microwave ablation; IRE: Irreversible electroporation; TACE: Trans-arterial chemoembolization; SIRT: Selective internal radiation therapy.