Practice guidelines for ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation for hepatic malignancy

Table 1 Indications and check list for microwave ablation of hepatic malignancy

Curative therapy	Palliative therapy	Check list
Single nodule with a diameter < 5 cm	Lesion > 5 cm in diameter	Histocytologic diagnosis
Maximum of 3 nodules with a diameter < 3 cm	Multiple lesions	US features of nodule (blood, location and size)
Absence of portal vein cancerous thrombus	Suffering from a small extrahepatic tumor burden	CEUS, CT or MRI of liver (lesion number, size, blood and location, portal venous thrombosis )
No extrahepatic spread	Unsuitable for other modalities	Laboratory tests (routine, coagulation function, serum biochemical item and tumor markers)

US: Ultrasound; CEUS: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography; CT: Computed tomography; MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.