Goals/background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and surgical resection (SR) are effective therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the Milan criteria. We aimed to compare the treatment efficacy according to the liver functional reserve using propensity score analysis.
Study: There were 330 and 369 HCC patients within the Milan criteria undergoing SR and RFA, respectively. A total of 147 and 48 pairs of patients with Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) scores=5 and >5, respectively, were matched for analyses.
Results: Overall, the 3- and the 5-year survivals were 88% and 76% in the SR group and 80% and 66% in the RFA group, respectively (P=0.006). The SR group had significantly younger patients, a higher male-to-female ratio and hepatitis B infection rate, with a better liver functional reserve and performance status, and a larger tumor burden. In patients with a CTP score of 5, no survival difference was noted between the SR and the RFA groups (P=0.564). In patients with CTP score >5, the SR group had a better long-term survival than the RFA group (P=0.016). After propensity score analysis, the RFA group had a better long-term survival than the SR group in patients with CTP score=5 in the univariate (P=0.024) and the Cox proportional hazards models (hazard ratio: 0.47, P=0.031). Comparable survival results were noted between SR and RFA in patients with CTP score >5 (P=0.15).
Conclusions: RFA is a safe procedure with better treatment efficacy than SR in patients with small HCC and a CTP score of 5, and provides effects comparable to SR in patients with CTP score >5. The baseline liver functional reserve may enhance treatment selection for outcome prediction.