Tae Wook Kang, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hyunchul Rhim MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Seong-Yoon Ryu MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Min Woo Lee, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hyo Keun Lim MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Young-Sun Kim, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To compare the long-term therapeutic outcomes of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with non-anatomical resection (NAR) in patients with a small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤ 3cm as a first-line treatment.

The data of 580 patients with a small HCC (≤ 3cm) underwent ultrasonography-guided percutaneous RFA (n=438) or NAR (n=142) as a first-line treatment, were reviewed. For comparison of therapeutic efficacy between RFA and NAR groups, local tumor progression (LTP), intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were analyzed using a 1-to-1 propensity score match. In addition, major complications and post-operative hospital stay were compared.

Before propensity score matching (n=580), 5-year cumulative LTP (20.9% vs. 12.7%, p = 0.093) and OS rates (85.5% vs. 90.9%, p = 0.194) were comparable between two groups while 5-year cumulative IDR (62.7% vs. 36.6%, p < 0.001) and DFS rates (31.7% vs. 61.1%, p < 0.001) in NAR group were significantly better than that in RFA group. After the matching (n=198), there were no significant differences in terms of all therapeutic outcomes including 5-year cumulative IDR (47.0% vs. 40.2%, p = 0.240) and DFS rates (48.9% vs. 54.4%, p = 0.201) in both groups. RFA was superior to NAR in terms of major complication rate (5.6% vs. 2.1%, p = 0.016) and post-operative hospital stay (p < 0.001).

In patient with a small HCC (≤3cm) as a first-line treatment, there was no significant difference in LTP, IDR, DFS and OS between RFA and NAR. However, RFA yielded less invasiveness than NAR.

There was no significant difference between RFA and NAR in terms of long-term therapeutic outcomes including Local Tumor Progression, Intrahepatic Distant Recurrence, Disease Free Survival, and Overall Survival in patients with a small HCC ≤3cm (BCLC very early/early-stage HCC) as a first-line treatment.

Kang, T, Rhim, H, Ryu, S, Lee, M, Lim, H, Kim, Y, Radiofrequency Ablation versus Non-anatomical Resection: Propensity Score Analyses of Long-term Outcome in 580 patients  .  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14015934.html