Hepatocellular carcinoma: Microwave ablation with multiple straight and loop antenna clusters - Pilot comparison with pathologic findings

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical implementation of triangular and spherical designs for simultaneous multiple-antenna ablation of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a recently engineered microwave coagulation system. Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained, and the study was compliant with HIPAA requirements. Nine patients (five men, four women; age range, 53-79 years; mean age, 66.2 years) with resectable HCC (diameter, 2.9-6.0 cm; mean, 4.2 cm) underwent intraoperative ultrasonography-guided tumor ablation followed by resection and pathologic examination. Standard single-straight (n = 2), triangular triple-straight (n = 4), and spherical triple-loop (n = 3) antenna configurations produced mean estimated coagulation volumes of 16.7, 51.7, and 54.3 cm³, respectively, during a single concurrent 5-10-minute ablation cycle. The triple-loop configuration yielded the most uniformly round ablation shape. Simultaneous activation of multiple straight or loop antennae is a potentially promising technique for rapid and effective treatment of large HCCs.