Comparative study of therapeutic effect between percutaneous radiofrequency ablation and hepatic resection for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

102 patients with solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) less than 3 cm in diameter were enrolled in this study. Among these patients, 77 patients were treated by percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and the others were subjected to hepatic resection. The cumulative 1-, 2- and 3-year's recurrence rate in the RFA group was 20.5, 43.1 and 67.7 %, respectively, while 16.0, 33.3 and 53.6 % in the hepatic resection group. The cumulative 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year's survival rate in the RFA group was 98.6, 96.2, 79.1 and 79.1 %, respectively, while 96.0, 96.0, 91.4 and 85.7 % in the hepatic resection group. Multivariate analysis showed no difference between these groups concerning both recurrence and survival after therapy. We believe that RFA is more desirable therapy for small HCC, because it is important to reserve hepatic function in patients with HCC in whom recurrence after therapy is frequent due to underlying liver disease.