How is the effect of anhydrous ethanol injection in treating liver cancer

Anhydrous ethanol injection is one of the important methods of tumor interventional treatment and an effective method for treating small hepatocellular carcinoma. Since the 1980s, it has been widely used in the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma, and its efficacy is no less than surgical resection.

Its therapeutic effect is unquestionable. The results of long-term follow-up show that for patients with small liver cancer with a diameter not exceeding 3 cm and the number of tumor nodules not exceeding 3 nodules, the 5-year survival rate after treatment is 50%~60%, which is not inferior to the effect of surgical resection.

However, the treatment effect is affected by two factors: one is the size and number of liver cancer, and the other is the intensity of treatment.

The size and number of liver cancers are related

For patients with liver cancer whose diameter does not exceed 3cm, the treatment effect is very good. This is because anhydrous ethanol can diffuse into the entire liver cancer nodule, causing the liver cancer nodule to completely necrotize, and can achieve the purpose of radical cure, which is no different from surgery. If the liver cancer is too large, ethanol cannot diffuse into the entire liver cancer nodule, and it cannot cause the liver cancer nodule to completely necrotize, and the treatment effect is poor. Similarly, if there are too many liver cancer nodules, ethanol injection cannot treat all lesions, and the residual lesions will continue to develop, and the treatment effect will naturally be poor.

Treatment intensity

In addition, ethanol injection for liver cancer treatment cannot completely kill tumor cells in one treatment, so multiple injections are required to achieve a cure. Clinically, it usually takes 4 to 6 injections to ensure complete necrosis of liver cancer nodules.