Small masses (≤3 cm) diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma on pre-treatment imaging: comparison of therapeutic outcomes between hepatic resection and radiofrequency ablation.

Abstract

To compare therapeutic outcomes between hepatic resection (HR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for small hepatic masses diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on pre-treatment imaging study. Our institutional review board approved this retrospective study, and informed consent was waived. Patients with a single (≤3 cm) mass diagnosed as HCC on pre-treatment imaging study between January 2008 and December 2009 who underwent HR (n = 145) or RFA (n = 178) were included. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed. In the HR group, the false-positive rate for imaging diagnosis was calculated. For the RFA group, the local tumor progression rate was calculated. RFS rates at 5 years were 59.3% for the HR group and 32.2% for the RFA group. OS rates at 5 years were 85.4% for the HR group and 76.8% for the RFA group. In the RFA group, cumulative local tumor progression rates were 8.3 and 20.2% at 1 and 3 years. Treatment modality was not an independent prognostic factor for either RFS or OS on multivariate analysis. The false-positive rate for HCC diagnosis based on imaging criteria was 4.8% in the HR group. The imaging criteria for diagnosis of HCC have a high positive predictive value. Multivariate analysis showed that RFS and OS rates were not significantly different between HR and RFA for small hepatic masses diagnosed as HCC on pre-treatment imaging. Treatment modality (hepatic resection vs RFA) was not an independent prognostic factor for both RFS and OS for small masses (≤3 cm) diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma on pre-treatment imaging.