Long-term effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma of 3.5 cm or less.

Background/aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes of death for cirrhosis, and patients are often not eligible for surgery. To evaluate the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation in single (less than 3.5cm in diameter) or multiple nodules (up to 3, sized less than 3cm) in respect of acceptability, applicability, primary ablation rate, local recurrence, complications, and long-term patients outcome.