Efficacy of microwave ablation with parallel acupuncture guided by ultrasound in treating single hepatocellular carcinoma in high-risk areas: A retrospective analysis of 155 patients

To investigate the safety and short- and long-term efficacy of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) with parallel acupuncture for treating single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk areas. Retrospective analysis was performed on 155 patients with single hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent microwave ablation in our hospital between December 2015 and September 2016. Patients with a tumor distance of ≤5 mm from the risk area were included in the observation group. Patients with a tumor distance of >5 mm from the risk area were placed in the control group. The patients' preoperative general health status, tumor site, tumor size, follow-up data, disease-free survival rate, overall survival rates, local tumor progression, and intrahepatic distant recurrence rate were collected and analyzed. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates for the observation group were 91.8%, 75.5%, and 59.2%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates for the control group were 97.2%, 84.0%, and 66.0%, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups (P = 0.522). A tumor size of ≤20 mm (HR = 0.488, 95% CI = 0.254-0.940, P = 0.032) was an independent risk factor affecting the overall survival of patients with solitary HCC treated with MWA. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates for the observation group were 59.2%, 28.6%, and 18.4%, respectively, and those for the control group were 79.2%, 43.4%, and 31.1%, respectively. There was a statistical difference between the two groups (P = 0.007). Tumor size ≤20 mm (HR = 0.468, 95% CI = 0.303-0.723, P = 0.001), tumor location in a risk area (HR = 1.662, 95% CI = 1.121-2.465, P = 0.011), and an α-fetoprotein (AFP) level of