Combination therapy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for small hepatocellular carcinoma: comparison with TACE or RFA monotherapy.

PURPOSE: To compare the safety and efficacy of combined transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with those of TACE or RFA monotherapy.
METHODS: This study included 34 combined TACE and RFA (TACE-RFA), 87 TACE, and 136 ultrasound-guided RFA, which were performed to treat HCC (≤ 3 cm, 3 or fewer) between March and August 2009. The safety (Child-Pugh score indicating hepatic functional reserve, patient discomfort requiring medication, duration of hospitalization, and complications) and efficacy (1-month, 6-month, and 1-year tumor responses) profiles of each treatment were evaluated and compared.
RESULTS: TACE-RFA group showed longer hospital stay and more frequent patient discomfort requiring medication than TACE or RFA group (P < 0.001). The frequency of overall complications after TACE-RFA was higher than TACE (P = 0.006) or RFA (P = 0.009). There were no statistical differences in major complication rates between the three groups (P = 0.094). Child-Pugh score at 1-month follow-up showed no significant difference between the three groups (P = 0.162). 1-month, 6-month, and 1-year tumor responses of TACE-RFA were similar to those of RFA and better than those of TACE.
CONCLUSIONS: TACE-RFA appears to result in more frequent patient discomfort requiring medication, longer hospital stay, and more frequent complications than TACE or RFA monotherapy. Tumor response of TACE-RFA seems to be similar to that of RFA and better than TACE monotherapy. Thus, TACE-RFA for treating small HCC may be required for the selected patients, especially patients with small HCC ineligible for RFA monotherapy.