Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treatment of patients with primary liver cancer (PLC). Methods 62 patients with PLC were enrolled in our hospital between June 2017 and August 2020, and all underwent RFA therapy. The short-term efficacy was evaluated by MRI comparison. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human heat shock protein-90α(HSP90α), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) and carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) were assayed. Results At the end of one-month treatment, the complete remission (CR) was obtained in 12 cases(19.4%), partial remission (PR) in 21 cases (33.9%) and non-remission (NR) in 29 cases (46.8%); serum AFP, HSP90α and CA199 levels in patients with CR were (85.6±5.2)ng/mL,(112.3±29.2)ng/mL and (32.3±12.4)U/mL, significantly higher than [(334.2±42.3)ng/mL,(124.2±19.6)ng/mL and (45.3±12.5)U/mL, respectively, P<0.05] in patients with PR or [(679.5±48.4)ng/mL, (143.9±33.5)ng/mL and (64.6±16.1)U/mL, respectively, P<0.05] in patients with NR; at presentation, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of cancerous foci in patients with CR, PR and NR were(1.23±0.47)mm²/s, (1.21±0.57)mm²/s and (1.22±0.31)mm²/s(P>0.05), while after treatment, they were (1.72±0.25)mm²/s,(1.63±0.14)mm²/s and (1.34±0.22)mm²/s, significantly different (P<0.05). Conclusion The RFA therapy in dealing with patients with PLC could gain a good short-term efficacy, and the MR scan could help evaluate the clinical response objectively.

Key words: Hepatoma, Radiofrequency ablation, Magnetic resonance imaging, Therapy