title: [Treatment of postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma with radiofrequency ablation comparing with repeated surgical resection].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and whether radiofrequency ablation can be used as first line treatment for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 213 patients with small recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (tumor size of 3 cm or less and no more than 3 nodules) who treated in Liver Cancer Institute, Fudan University from January 2000 to December 2005. Among these patients 68 were treated with radiofrequency ablation and 145 were treated with repeated surgical resection. Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate the overall survival or disease free survival. Log-rank used to determine the survival difference between groups and COX proportional hazard was used for multivariate analysis to evaluate the risk factors for prognosis. The overall survival or disease free survival was calculated from the time treated with radiofrequency or repeated surgical resection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1-, 3-, 5-years overall survival rates were 94.7%, 65.1%, 37.3% and 88.1%, 62.6%, 41.0% in radiofrequency ablation group and surgical repeated resection group, respectively. There was no significant difference between two groups (P = 0.693). However, the disease free survival was better in repeated surgical resection than in radiofrequency ablation, which were 79.4%, 48.1%, 34.4% and 58.0%, 27.8%, 12.4% in repeated surgical resection and radiofrequency ablation, respectively (P = 0.001). The interval between recurrence and initial hepatectomy with more than 2 years was independent factor favor to good prognosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radiofrequency ablation seems to be as effective as repeated surgical resection owing to comparable overall survival and can be considered as alternative therapy for surgical resection treatment of small recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. ren.zhenggang@zs-hospital.sh.cn
authors.forename: Zheng-gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Yu-hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-quan
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Lun-xiu
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Ning-ling
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jing-lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Yan-hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qing-hai
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Sheng-long
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome