Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), meeting 1 of the following criteria:

- Histologically confirmed HCC

- Discrete non-biopsied hepatic tumors, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

- Hypervascular tumor > 2 cm by 2 imaging studies

- Hypervascular tumor > 2 cm by a single imaging study AND alpha-fetoprotein
≥ 400 ng/mL

- Discrete non-biopsied hypervascular hepatic tumors by 2 consecutive imaging
studies (e.g., CT scan or MRI) with documented tumor growth > 1 cm in diameter

- Histologically confirmed cirrhosis OR typical findings of cirrhosis (i.e., nodular
liver, splenomegaly, varices, or ascites) by CT scan and/or MRI scan

- Single hepatic tumor > 3.0 cm but ≤ 5.0 cm in diameter OR 3 or fewer hepatic tumors ≤
3.0 cm in diameter

- No excessive intrahepatic tumor burden (i.e., > 3 hepatic tumors OR a single
hepatic tumor > 5 cm OR more than 3 vague hypervascular nodules > 1 cm)

- Tumor(s) ≥ 1 cm from the main, right, and left portal veins and hollow viscera

- No hepatic or portal vein tumor invasion

- Tumor(s) > 1 cm treatable by percutaneous radiofrequency ablation

- No extrahepatic tumor

- Not a surgical candidate due to any of the following reasons:

- Tumor in an unresectable location

- Comorbid disease

- Insufficient hepatic reserve

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- Zubrod 0-2

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- No uncorrectable coagulopathy

Hepatic

- Not specified

Renal

- Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL

Other

- Not pregnant

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No active symptomatic bacterial or fungal infection that is newly diagnosed and/or
requires treatment

- No absolute contraindication to IV iodinated contrast (i.e., history of significant
contrast reaction not mitigated by appropriate premedication)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Not specified

Chemotherapy

- No prior or concurrent chemotherapy for HCC

- No prior or concurrent chemoembolization for HCC

Endocrine therapy

- Not specified

Radiotherapy

- No prior or concurrent radiotherapy for HCC

Surgery

- No prior choledochoenteric anastomosis

- No prior sphincterotomy of duodenal papilla

Other

- No prior or concurrent cryoablation for HCC

- No other prior or concurrent therapy for HCC

- At least 7 days since prior aspirin

- At least 24 hours since prior ibuprofen

- At least 12 hours since prior low molecular weight heparin preparations