title: Hepatocellular carcinomas 2-3 cm in diameter: transarterial chemoembolization plus radiofrequency ablation vs. radiofrequency ablation alone.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is debate whether transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is more effective than RFA alone in the treatment of patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We therefore retrospectively compared these treatments in patients with HCCs of diameter 2-3 cm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outcomes, including tumor progression, survival rates, and major complications, were compared in 83 patients (83 tumors) treated with combined TACE and RFA and in 231 patients (231 tumors) treated with RFA alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median follow-up periods were similar in the TACE+RFA and RFA alone groups (37 vs. 38 months). During follow-up, local tumor progression was observed in 16% and 41% of tumors, respectively. The 1, 3, and 5 year local tumor progression-free survival rates were significantly higher in the TACE+RFA group (95%, 86%, and 83%, respectively) than in the RFA-alone group (78%, 61%, and 53%, respectively; P<0.001). The 1, 3, and 5 year overall survival rates, however, were similar in the TACE+RFA (93%, 72%, and 63%, respectively) and RFA (93%, 73%, and 53%, respectively) groups (P=0.545), as were the rates of major complications (1.2% vs. 0.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combined TACE and RFA was safe and provided better local tumor control than RFA alone in the treatment of 2- to 3-cm sized HCCs, although survival rates were similar.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1, Poongnap-2dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Hyoung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyung Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Yong Moon
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hyun-Ki
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Kyu-Bo
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Pyo Nyun
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome