title: Long-term effectiveness of resection and radiofrequency ablation for single hepatocellular carcinoma ≤3 cm. Results of a multicenter Italian survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare liver resection and radiofrequency ablation in patients with single hepatocellular carcinoma ≤3 cm and compensated cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 544 Child-Pugh A cirrhotic patients (246 in the resection group and 298 in the radiofrequency group) observed in 15 Italian centers. Overall survival and tumor recurrence rates were analyzed using the Kaplan Meier method before and after propensity score matching. Cox regression models were used to identify factors associated with overall survival and tumor recurrence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two cases of perioperative mortality were observed in the resection group and the rate of major complications was 4.5% in the resection group and 2.0% in the radiofrequency group (p=0.101). Four-year overall survival rates were 74.4% in the resection group and 66.2% in the radiofrequency group (p=0.353). Four-year cumulative HCC recurrence rates were 56% in the resection group and 57.1% in the radiofrequency group (p=0.765). Local tumor progression was detected in 20.5% of ablated patients and in one resected patient (p<0.001). After propensity score matching, both survival and tumor recurrence were still not significantly different although a trend towards lower recurrence was observed in resected patients. Older age and higher alpha-fetoprotein levels were independent predictors of poor overall survival while older age and higher alanine-aminotransferase levels resulted to be independent factors associated with higher recurrence rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In spite of a higher rate of local tumor progression, radiofrequency ablation can provide results comparable to liver resection in the treatment of single hepatocellular carcinoma ≤3 cm occurring in compensated cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. mpompili@rm.unicatt.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saviano
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Matthaeis
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cucchetti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ardito
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Federico
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brunello
authors.forename: Antonio D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pinna
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giorgio
authors.forename: Stefano M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Giulini
authors.forename: Ilario
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Sio
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Torzilli
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fornari
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capussotti
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guglielmi
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piscaglia
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aldrighetti
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caturelli
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calise
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nuzzo
authors.forename: Gian Ludovico
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Rapaccini
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giuliante
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome