Table 1.
Randomised controlled trial comparing liver resection with radiofrequency ablation.
| Study | Characteristics of the study | Characteristics of the patients | Endpoints | Morbidity/mortality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee et al. Ann Surg Treat Res 201828 |
Korea 2005–2008 RCT |
29 LR vs. 34 RFA % cirrhosis n.d. % viral hepatitis n.d. 100% solitary tumour 24% HCC between 3–4 cm |
OS at 3 years: 96.6% in LR vs. 97.1% in RFA (p = n.s.) DFS at 3 years: 66.7% in LR vs. 44.1% in RFA (p = 0.071) |
37.9% in LR vs. 26.5% in RFA (p = n.s.) Deaths 3.4% in LR vs. 0% in RFA |
| Ng et al. BJS 201729 |
China 2002–2007 RCT |
109 LR vs. 109 RFA % cirrhosis n.d. 90% viral hepatitis 91% solitary tumour 100% In Milan criteria |
OS at 3 years: 80.6% in LR vs. 82.3% in RFA (p = n.s.) DFS at 3 years: 50.9% in LR vs. 46.6% in RFA (p = n.s.) |
16.5% in LR vs. 9.2% in RFA (p = n.s.) Deaths 0.9% in LR vs. 0% in RFA |
| Fang et al. JGHF 201430 |
China 2000–2012 |
60 LR vs. 60 RFA 80% cirrhosis 90% viral hepatitis 80% solitary tumour 100% HCC ≤3 cm |
OS at 3 years: 77.5% in LR vs. 82.5% in RFA (p = n.s.) DFS at 3 years: 41.3% in LR vs. 55.4.1% in RFA (p = n.s.) |
27.5% in LR vs. 5% in RFA (p <0.05) No deaths |
| Feng et al. J Hepatol 201231 |
China 2005–2008 RCT |
84 LR vs. 84 RFA 60% cirrhosis 84% viral hepatitis 60% solitary tumour 64% HCC between 2–4 cm |
OS at 3 years: 74.8% in LR vs. 67.2% in RFA (p = n.s.) Recurrence at 3 years: 37.7% in LR vs. 49.6% in RFA (p = n.s.) |
21.4% in LR vs. 9.5% in RFA (p <0.05) No deaths |
| Huang et al. Ann Surg 201032 |
China 2003–2005 RCT |
115 LR vs. 115 RFA 70% cirrhosis 93% viral hepatitis 55% solitary tumour 50 % HCC between 3–5 cm More solitary tumour in LR Larger HCC in RFA group |
OS at 3 years: 92% in LR vs. 76% in RFA (p = 0.001) Recurrence at 3 years: 34% in LR vs. 49% in RFA (p = 0.024) |
28% in LR vs. 4% in RFA (p <0.05) No deaths |
| Cheng et al. Ann Surg 200633 |
China 1999–2004 RCT |
90 LR vs. 90 RFA % cirrhosis n.d. % viral hepatitis n.d. 100% solitary tumour 50 % HCC between 3–5 cm |
OS at 3 years: 73% in LR vs. 69% in RFA (p = n.s.) DFS at 3 years: 52% in LR vs. 60% in RFA (p = n.s.) |
55% in LR vs. 4% in RFA (p <0.05) Deaths 1.1% in LR vs. 0% in RFA |
| Lu et al. ZhonghuA Yi Xue Za Zhi 200634 |
China RCT Written in Chinese |
54 LR vs. 51 RFA % cirrhosis n.d. % viral hepatitis n.d. % solitary tumour n.d. 100% In Milan criteria |
OS at 3 years: 86.4% in LR vs. 87.1% in RFA (p = n.s.) DFS at 3 years: 82.4% in LR vs. 51.3% in RFA (p = n.s.) |
11.1% in LR vs. 7.8% in RFA (p = n.s.) % n.s. Deaths |
DFS, disease-free survival; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; LR, liver resection, OS, overall survival; n.d., not determined, n.s., not significant; RFA, radiofrequency ablation; RCT, randomised controlled trial.