Abstract

A curative modality for hepatocellular carcinoma was a resection or a liver transplantation in a past decades, but nowadays local ablation therapy like a percutaneous alcohol injection or a radiofrequency ablation is comparable with a surgical resection. So a local ablation therapy is considered as a curative modality. Recently early detection of a small hepatocellular carcinoma is becoming easy due to use a suveillance ultrasonography and computed tomography in a high risk patients. Grobally, an indication for local ablation therapy is a small hepatocellular carcinoma less than 3 cm in diameter and have a well-reserved liver function. But patients who met above indication is also controlled by a liver transplantation or a surgical resection. So we should pay attention to a difference between treatment guidelines and a strengths and weaknesses of local ablation therapy.

• Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma;Local ablation therapy;Treatment guideline