Long-term outcomes of combined transarterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation versus RFA monotherapy for single hepatocellular carcinoma ≤3 cm: emphasis on local tumor progression.

Purpose: To compare the long-term outcomes of combined transarterial chemoembolization and radiofrequency ablation (TACE-RFA) with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) monotherapy for small (≤3 cm) hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs).

Methods: A total of 248 patients with 329 HCC nodules who underwent TACE-RFA or RFA monotherapy as the only first-line treatment between January 2009 and December 2020 were included in this study. The technical success, complications, survival rate, and local tumor progression (LTP) rate were compared between the two treatments.

Results: The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were similar between the two groups (98.7%, 93.0% and 75.9% vs 97.4%, 88.0% and 77.4%; = 0.444). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative LTP rates were significantly lower in the TACE-RFA group than in the RFA monotherapy group (2.9%, 9.2%, and 13.8% vs. 5.2%, 17.0%, and 21.0%; = 0.043). Subgroup analyses suggested that TACE-RFA showed significantly lower LTP rates than RFA monotherapy for small HCC with tumor size>2cm ( = 0.008), subphrenic location ( = 0.021), and perivessel ( = 0.030). Furthermore, HCC with well-defined lipiodol deposition in the TACE-RFA group showed better local tumor control than the small HCC in the RFA monotherapy group ( = 0.013). There was no significant difference in the technical success rates ( = 0.064) and complication rates ( = 0.952) between the two groups.

Conclusions: TACE-RFA is superior to RFA monotherapy in providing local tumor control for small HCC with tumor size 2-3 cm in diameter, subphrenic location, perivessel and HCCs with well-defined lipiodol deposition by TACE before RFA.