Abstract:Objective:To investigate the factors affecting the intrahepatic infection after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) for liver cancers.Methods: The clinical data of 1 567 patients with intrahepatic infection after PRFA for liver cancers (from Dec.1999 to Oct.2007) were retrospectively summarized.Logistic regression method was used to analyze the possible affecting factors. Results: Twenty-eight person-times of intrahepatic infection occurred in 1 635 patients who received a total of 2 035 times of PRFA,with the infecting rate being 1.38%.The intrahepatic infection-related mortality was 0.13%(2/1 567).Univariate analysis indicated that the intrahepatic infection was significantly correlated with metastatic liver cancer,pattern of past abdominal operation,tumor location,tumor size and tumor numbers(P<005).Multivariate analysis showed that the types of liver cancer,tumor number,tumor location and pattern of past abdominal operation were independent risk factors for intrahepatic infection after PRFA for liver cancers(r=3.647,P=0004; r=1.155,P=0042; r=1.701,P=0019; r=2.213,P=0010,respectively).Conclusion: Our findings suggested that patients with metastatic liver cancer(especially for the patients who have received gastroenterostomy or cholangioenterostomy),multi-liver cancer,and cancers locating near the cavity organs are liable to intrahepatic infection after PRFA.