Bolondi 1996.

Study characteristics
Methods	Randomised clinical trial
Participants	Country: Italy Number randomised: 150 Postrandomisation dropouts: not stated Revised sample size: 150 Average age: not stated Females: not stated Cirrhosis: 150 (100%) Very early HCC: not stated Portal hypertension: not stated Viral aetiology: not stated Immunotherapy/antiviral adjuvant therapy: not stated Average follow‐up period in months (for all groups): mean: 19 months Criteria for early or very early HCC and other inclusion criteria: < 5 cm unifocal lesions
Interventions	Participants were randomly assigned to 2 groups: Group 1: PEI plus TACE (n = 66). Further details not available for TACE or PEI. Group 2: PEI (n = 84). Further details not available.
Outcomes	The outcomes reported were: mortality.
Notes	Reasons for postrandomisation dropouts: not stated
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Comment: this information was not available.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Comment: this information was not available.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Comment: this information was not available.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Comment: this information was not available.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Comment: this information was not available.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	High risk	Comment: important clinical outcomes expected to be measured in such trials were not reported.
For‐profit bias	Unclear risk	Comment: this information was not available.
Other bias	Low risk	Comment: no other bias noted.