Comparison of percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation and surgical resection for small hepatocellular carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this investigation was to compare the outcome of percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation therapy (PRFA) with surgical resection (SR) in the treatment of single and small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 231 treatment naive patients with a single HCC ≤ 3 cm who had received either curative PRFA (162 patients) or curative SR (69 patients). All patients were regularly followed up after treatment at our department with blood and radiologic tests.


RESULTS
The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates after PRFA and SR were 95.4%, 79.6% and 63.1%, respectively in the PRFA group and 100%, 81.4% and 74.6%, respectively in the SR group. The corresponding recurrence free survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years after PRFA and SR were 82.0%, 38.3% and 18.0%, respectively in the PRFA group and 86.0%, 47.2% and 26.0%, respectively in the SR group. In terms of overall survival and recurrence free survival, there were no significant differences between these two groups. In comparison of PRFA group patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) (n = 127) and SR group patients with LC (n = 50) and in comparison of PRFA group patients without LC (n = 35) and SR group patients without LC (n = 19), there were also no significant differences between two groups in terms of overall survival and recurrence free survival. In the multivariate analysis of the risk factors contributing to overall survival, serum albumin level was the sole significant factor. In the multivariate analysis of the risk factors contributing to recurrence free survival, presence of LC was the sole significant factor. The rate of serious adverse events in the SR group was significantly higher than that in the PRFA group (P = 0.023). Hospitalization length in the SR group was significantly longer than in the PRFA group (P = 0.013).


CONCLUSIONS
PRFA is as effective as SR in the treatment of single and small HCC, and is less invasive than SR. Therefore, PRFA could be a first choice for the treatment of single and small HCC.
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka Red Cross Hospital, Fudegasaki-cho, Tennoji-ku, Japan. h-nishikawa@osaka-med.jrc.or.jp
Hiroki
H
Nishikawa
Tadashi
T
Inuzuka
Haruhiko
H
Takeda
Jun
J
Nakajima
Fumihiro
F
Matsuda
Azusa
A
Sakamoto
Shinichiro
S
Henmi
Keiichi
K
Hatamaru
Tetsuro
T
Ishikawa
Sumio
S
Saito
Akihiro
A
Nasu
Ryuichi
R
Kita
Toru
T
Kimura
Akira
A
Arimoto
Yukio
Y
Osaki
D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome