Clinical Results, Risk Factors, and Future Directions of Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Microwave Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, with a relatively poor prognosis, especially for advanced HCC. With the availability of a variety of treatment options, the treatment strategies for HCC have become more and more diversified. Microwave ablation (MWA) has gradually been considered as a viable alternative to surgical resection (SR) owing to its comparable long-term survival, reduced complications, and greater preservation of hepatic parenchyma. However, clinical outcomes, tumor progression, and recurrence of HCC after MWA remain major concerns. Here, after reviewing the current therapeutic options for HCC, we focus on MWA, describing the advantages and challenges of MWA and the clinical results after treatment. We then focused on prognostic factors that influence post-ablation clinical outcomes and briefly presented the strategy of MWA for future clinical treatment.