Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer and a leading cause of tumor-related death. Patients with large HCC (≥ 8 cm) are at an advanced stage and have poor prognosis, and hepatic resection may not be suitable, and the incidence of postoperative recurrence is high.
Aim: To evaluate recurrence and mid-term survival of patients with large HCC treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
Methods: This was a retrospective study. From 2010 to 2013, 46 consecutive patients with large HCC were treated with simultaneous TACE and RFA. Thirty-five of 46 patients had a single tumor. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed at 2 years and 3 years, respectively.
Results: Forty-six patients treated by simultaneous TACE and RFA had no significant complications and treatment was successful. After 3 years, median PFS and OS were 10.21 ± 1.58 mo and 26.44 ± 2.26 mo, retrospectively. The survival rate was 67.5% after 2 years and 55.67% after 3 years.
Conclusion: These preliminary data show that simultaneous TACE and RFA are safe and effective for large HCC.
Keywords: Chemoembolization; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Radiofrequency ablation; Simultaneous treatment; Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.
©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.