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Medium-Sized (3.1–5.0 cm) Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Transarterial Chemoembolization Plus Radiofrequency Ablation Versus Radiofrequency Ablation Alone

  • Hepatobiliary Tumors
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Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study was designed to retrospectively compare the effectiveness of combined transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with that of RFA alone in patients with medium-sized (3.1–5.0 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

From March 2000 to April 2010, 57 patients, each with a single medium-sized HCC, were treated with combined TACE and RFA, and 66 were treated with RFA alone.

Results

During follow-up (mean, 42.5 ± 33.2 months; range, 2.6–126.2 months), local tumor progression was observed in 40% of treated lesions in the combined treatment group and in 70% in the RFA-alone group. The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year local tumor progression rates were significantly lower in the TACE + RFA group (9%, 40%, 55%, and 66%, respectively) than in the RFA-alone group (45%, 76%, 86%, and 89%, respectively; P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment allocation (odds ratio [OR], 1.78; P = 0.016) and Child-Pugh class (OR, 1.96; P = 0.008) were significant independent factors associated with patient survival. The rates of major complications were 0% for the combined treatment group and 3% for the RFA-alone group.

Conclusions

The combination of TACE and RFA is safe and provides better local tumor control than RFA alone for the treatment of patients with medium-sized HCC. Our multivariate analysis showed that RFA-alone treatment and Child-Pugh class B were poor independent factors for determining the patient survival period.

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Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest and nothing to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Jin Hyoung Kim MD, Hyung Jin Won MD, Yong Moon Shin MD, Sung Hee Kim RN, Hyun-Ki Yoon MD, Kyu-Bo Sung MD & Pyo Nyun Kim MD

  2. Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Jin Hyoung Kim MD, Hyung Jin Won MD, Yong Moon Shin MD, Sung Hee Kim RN, Hyun-Ki Yoon MD, Kyu-Bo Sung MD & Pyo Nyun Kim MD

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  1. Jin Hyoung Kim MD
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  2. Hyung Jin Won MD
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Correspondence to Jin Hyoung Kim MD.

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Kim, J.H., Won, H.J., Shin, Y.M. et al. Medium-Sized (3.1–5.0 cm) Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Transarterial Chemoembolization Plus Radiofrequency Ablation Versus Radiofrequency Ablation Alone. Ann Surg Oncol 18, 1624–1629 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-011-1673-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-011-1673-8

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