Hyo-Jae Lee1, Jin Woong Kim2, Young Hoe Hur3, Sang Soo Shin1, Suk Hee Heo1, Sung Bum Cho4, Yang Joon Kang1, Hyo Soon Lim1, Hyun Ju Seon5, Yong Yeon Jeong1. 1. Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jw4249@hanmail.net. 3. Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea. 4. Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea. 5. Department of Radiology, Chosun University School of Medicine, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To compare therapeutic outcomes of radiofrequency (RF) ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization vs surgical resection (SR) for single 2-3 cm hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy patients underwent combined chemoembolization/RF ablation therapy and 84 underwent SR. Local tumor progression (LTP), intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) rates, as well as major complications and duration of hospital stay, were compared between groups before and after propensity-score matching. RESULTS: LTP and IDR had developed in 9 (12.9%) and 24 (34.3%) patients in the combined treatment group and in 7 (8.3%) and 24 (28.6%) patients in the SR group (P = .262 and P = .252, respectively). The 1-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year DFS rates were similar between groups (82.6%, 53.2%, 53.2%, and 37.6%, respectively, vs 84.5%, 63.6%, 59.2%, and 52.1%, respectively; P = .278), and 1-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year OS rates were also comparable (94.2%, 81.2%, 74.1%, and 59.4%, respectively, vs 95.2%, 86.3%, 84.0%, and 80.3%, respectively; P = .081). After matching (n = 98), LTP, IDR, DFS, and OS rates were still similar (P = .725, P = .826, P = .484, and P = .578, respectively). Major complication rate was not significantly different (2.9% vs. 6.0%; P = .596); however, after matching, major complication rate was higher in SR group (2.0% vs. 6.1%; P < .001). Hospital stays were significantly longer in the SR group (16.6 ± 6.7 d vs 8.5 ± 4.1 d; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Before and after matching, there were no significant differences in long-term therapeutic outcomes between combined chemoembolization/RF ablation and SR groups. Therefore, combined chemoembolization/RF ablation therapy may be an alternative treatment for single 2-3 cm HCCs.
PURPOSE: To compare therapeutic outcomes of radiofrequency (RF) ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization vs surgical resection (SR) for single 2-3 cm hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy patients underwent combined chemoembolization/RF ablation therapy and 84 underwent SR. Local tumor progression (LTP), intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) rates, as well as major complications and duration of hospital stay, were compared between groups before and after propensity-score matching. RESULTS: LTP and IDR had developed in 9 (12.9%) and 24 (34.3%) patients in the combined treatment group and in 7 (8.3%) and 24 (28.6%) patients in the SR group (P = .262 and P = .252, respectively). The 1-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year DFS rates were similar between groups (82.6%, 53.2%, 53.2%, and 37.6%, respectively, vs 84.5%, 63.6%, 59.2%, and 52.1%, respectively; P = .278), and 1-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year OS rates were also comparable (94.2%, 81.2%, 74.1%, and 59.4%, respectively, vs 95.2%, 86.3%, 84.0%, and 80.3%, respectively; P = .081). After matching (n = 98), LTP, IDR, DFS, and OS rates were still similar (P = .725, P = .826, P = .484, and P = .578, respectively). Major complication rate was not significantly different (2.9% vs. 6.0%; P = .596); however, after matching, major complication rate was higher in SR group (2.0% vs. 6.1%; P < .001). Hospital stays were significantly longer in the SR group (16.6 ± 6.7 d vs 8.5 ± 4.1 d; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Before and after matching, there were no significant differences in long-term therapeutic outcomes between combined chemoembolization/RF ablation and SR groups. Therefore, combined chemoembolization/RF ablation therapy may be an alternative treatment for single 2-3 cm HCCs.