Patterns and Prognostic Stratification of Recurrence after Thermal Ablation in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recurrence rates following thermal ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain high, but the patterns of recurrence and post-recurrence outcomes are not well characterized. This study aimed to investigate the recurrence patterns and long-term post-recurrence survival (PRS) in patients with HCC after thermal ablation to inform post-recurrence treatment strategy.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 824 patients who underwent thermal ablation for HCC between 2007 and 2023. Recurrence patterns and factors influencing PRS in patients with recurrence within and beyond the Milan criteria were evaluated. An independent cohort of 198 patients served as an external validation cohort for the prognostic models.

Results

During a median follow-up of

SUBMITTER: Tan CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12846322 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature