Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation For Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma:Analysis Of Survival And Prognostic Factors

Aim:Our study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma, and analyzing its prognostic factors.Methods:We had evaluated the recurrence rates, survival rates, and assessed the prognostic risk factors of those through the retrospective analysis of98patients with123small hepatocellular carcinomasin Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from December2006to August2013. And all of them were treated with radiofrequency ablation as a first-line option.Results:The cumulative local tumor progression rates were17.3%,27.4%and30.9%at1,3and5years, respectively, for which the only significant risk factor was tumor adjacent to blood vessels(P=0.003). The cumulative intrahepatic distant recurrence rates were25.7%,62.1%and77.3%at1,3and5years, respectively. The cumulative survival rates were95.4%,85.4%,65.9%,54.7%and39.9%at1,2,3,4and5years, respectively. Patients with serum albumin≤35g/L (P=0.003), first recurrence≤1year after RFA (P=0.002) and different segment intrahepatic recurrence in the first recurrence (P=0.003) demonstrated poor survival results. The cumulative disease-free survival rates were74.0%,52.7%,45.0%,37.0%, and25.3%, atl,2,3,4and5years, respectively. Tumor nodules (P=0.014) was identified as independent factor for disease-free survival.Conclusions:RFA could treat patients with small HCC safely and effectively. As for the treatment of early intrahepatic recurrence, RFA is of high repeatability. The level of serum albumin<35g/L, first recurrence≤1year after RFA and different segment intrahepatic recurrence in the first recurrence were independently significant prognostic factors for long-term survival.