An Intraoperative Guidance Platform for Patients Undergoing Radio Frequency Ablation for Liver Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• ≥ 18 years of age
• Presence of hepatocellular carcinoma with a size equal or larger than 2 cm
• Scheduled for computed tomography (CT)-guided thermal ablation under general anesthesia * NOTE: Patients are scheduled for thermal ablation after discussion and consensus is reached at either the gastrointestinal (GI) Tumor Board or the Liver Tumor Clinic conference. Both of these conferences are multidisciplinary with representation from oncology/hepatology, surgery, radiation oncology, interventional radiology, diagnostic radiology, and at GI TB, pathology and palliative care. For hepatocellular carcinoma the criteria is as follows: the patient is Childs Pugh class A or B, has an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)-functional class of 0-1, and has 5 or fewer lesions diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LIRADs) criteria, that are accessible for ablation
• Able to provide written, informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• Absolute of relative contraindication to MRI: * The presence of an electronic implant, such as a pacemaker not approved for MRI * The presence of a metal implant, such as an aneurysm clip not approved for MRI * Claustrophobia * The presence of other contraindication(s), such as inability to comfortably lie flat, history of working with metal, other implanted hardware or shrapnel
• Target tumor adjacent to or within prior ablated or resected site
• Serious psychiatric illness not adequately controlled to permit patient cooperation to obtain an MRI