Comparing the Outcomes of Radiofrequency Ablation and Surgery in Patients With a Single Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Well-Preserved Hepatic Function

Abstract

To compare the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and surgical resection in a group of patients with a Child-Pugh score of 5 and a single HCC less than 4 cm in diameter. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become a popular method for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and has been applied as an alternative primary therapy to surgical resection. We compared outcomes for 148 patients treated with RFA (n = 55) and those treated surgically (n = 93). The rate of local recurrence among patients in the RFA group was significantly higher than in the surgery group (P = 0.005), while the incidence of remote recurrence was similar between the two groups (P = 0.30). The cumulative 1- and 3-year overall survival rates (P = 0.24) and the cumulative 1- and 3-year recurrence-free survival rates (P = 0.54) were not significantly different between the two groups. Despite a higher rate of local recurrence, RFA was found to be as effective as surgical resection for the treatment of single small HCC in patients with well-preserved liver function, in terms of the incidence of remote recurrence and the patients' likelihood of achieving overall and/or recurrence-free survival.