***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC ) is a primary tumor of the liver with poor prognosis . For early stage HCC , treatment options include surgical resection , liver transplantation , and percutaneous ablation . Percutaneous ablative techniques ( radiofrequency and microwave techniques ) emerged as best therapeutic options for nonsurgical patients . Aims We aim ed to determine the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency and microwave procedures for ablation of early stage HCC lesions and prospect ively follow up our patients for survival analysis . Patients and methods One Hundred and 11 patients with early HCC are managed in our multidisciplinary clinic using either radiofrequency or microwave ablation . Patients are assessed for efficacy and safety . Complete ablation rate , local recurrence , and overall survival analysis are compared between both procedures . Results Radiofrequency ablation group ( n = 45 ) and microwave ablation group ( n = 66 ) were nearly comparable as regards the tumor and patients characteristics . Complete ablation was achieved in 94.2 and 96.1 % of patients managed by radiofrequency and microwave ablation techniques , respectively ( p value 0.6 ) with a low rate of minor complications ( 11.1 and 3.2 , respectively ) including subcapsular hematoma , thigh burn , abdominal wall skin burn , and pleural effusion . Ablation rates did not differ between ablated lesions ≤3 and 3–5 cm . A lower incidence of local recurrence was observed in microwave group ( 3.9 vs. 13.5 % in radiofrequency group , p value 0.04 ) . No difference between both groups as regards de novo lesions , portal vein thrombosis , and abdominal lymphadenopathy . The overall actuarial probability of survival was 91.6 % at 1 year and 86.1 % at 2 years with a higher survival rates noticed in microwave group but still without significant difference ( p value 0.49 ) . Conclusion Radiofrequency and microwave ablations led to safe and equivalent ablation and survival rates ( with superiority for microwave ablation as regards the incidence of local recurrence ) OBJECTIVE To compare radiofrequency ablation ( RFA ) or microwave ablation ( MWA ) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization ( TACE ) with RFA or MWA monotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC ) . METHODS A prospect i ve , r and omized , controlled trial was conducted on 94 patients with HCC ≤7 cm at a single tertiary referral center from June 2008 to June 2010 at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery , the Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University . The patients were r and omly assigned into the TACE-RFA or TACE-MWA ( combined treatment group ) and the RFA-alone or MWA-alone groups ( control group ) . The primary end point was overall survival . The secondary end point was recurrence-free survival , and the tertiary end point was adverse effects . RESULTS Until the time of censor , 17 patients in the TACE-RFA or TACE-MWA group had died . The median follow-up time of the patients who were still alive for the TACE-RFA or TACE-MWA group was 47.5±11.3 months ( range , 29 to 62 months ) . The 1- , 3- and 5-year overall survival for the TACE-RFA or TACE-MWA group was 93.6 % , 68.1 % and 61.7 % , respectively . Twenty-five patients in the RFA or MWA group had died . The median follow-up time of the patients who were still alive for the RFA or MWA group was 47.0±12.9 months ( range , 28 to 62 months ) . The 1- , 3- and 5-year overall survival for the RFA or MWA group was 85.1 % , 59.6 % and 44.7 % , respectively . The patients in the TACE-RFA or TACE-MWA group had better overall survival than the RFA or MWA group [ hazard ratio ( HR ) , 0.526 ; 95 % confidence interval ( 95 % CI ) , 0.334 - 0.823 ; P=0.002 ] , and showed better recurrence-free survival than the RFA or MWA group ( HR , 0.582 ; 95 % CI , 0.368 - 0.895 ; P=0.008 ) . CONCLUSIONS RFA or MWA combined with TACE in the treatment of HCC ≤7 cm was superior to RFA or MWA alone in improving survival by reducing arterial and portal blood flow due to TACE with iodized oil before RFA AIM To retrospectively compare the initial response , local recurrence , and complication rates of radiofrequency ablation ( RFA ) vs microwave ablation ( MWA ) when combined with neoadjuvant bl and transarterial embolization ( TAE ) or drug-eluting microsphere chemoembolization ( TACE ) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC ) . METHODS A total of 35 subjects with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer ( BCLC ) very early and early-stage HCC ( range : 1.2 - 4.1 cm ) underwent TAE  ( 23 ) or TACE  ( 12 ) with RFA ( 15 ) or microwave ablation ( MWA ) ( 20 ) from January 2009 to June 2015 as either definitive therapy or a bridge to transplant . TAE and TACE were performed with 40 - 400μm particles and 30 - 100μm plus either doxorubicin- or epirubicin-eluting microspheres , respectively . Initial response and local progression were evaluated using modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors . Complications were grade d using common terminology criteria for adverse events version 5.0 . RESULTS Complete response rates were 80 % ( 12/15 ) for RFA + TAE/TACE and 95 % ( 19/20 ) for MWA + TAE/TACE ( P = 0.29 ) . Local recurrence rate was 30 % ( 4/12 ) for RFA + TAE/TACE and 0 % ( 0/19 ) for MWA + TAE/TACE . Durability of response , defined as local disease control for duration of the study , demonstrated a significant difference in favor of MWA ( P = 0.0091 ) . There was no statistical difference in complication rates ( 3 vs 2 ) . CONCLUSIONS MWA and RFA when combined with neoadjuvant TAE or TACE have similar safety and efficacy in the treatment of early-stage HCC . MWA provided more durable disease control in this study ; however , prospect i ve data remain necessary to evaluate superiority of either modality BACKGROUND Radiofrequency ablation is the recommended treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who have lesions smaller than 3 cm and are therefore not c and i date s for surgery .  Microwave ablation is a more recent technique with certain theoretical advantages that have not yet been confirmed clinical ly . We aim ed to compare the efficacy of both techniques in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma lesions of 4 cm or smaller . METHODS We did a r and omised controlled , single-blinded phase 2 trial at four tertiary university centres in France and Switzerl and . Patients with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma with up to three lesions of 4 cm or smaller who were not eligible for surgery were r and omised to receive  microwave ablation ( experimental group ) or radiofrequency ablation ( control group ) . R and omisation was central ised and done by use of a fixed block method ( block size 4 ) . Patients were r and omly assigned by a co-investigator by use of the sealed opaque envelope method and were masked to the treatment ; physicians were not masked to treatment , since the devices used were different . The primary outcome was the proportion of lesions with local tumour progression at 2 years of follow-up . Local tumour progression was defined as the appearance of a new nodule with features typical of hepatocellular carcinoma in the edge of the ablation zone . All analyses were done in the per- protocol population . The study is completed , but patients will continue to be followed up for 5 years . This study is registered with Clinical Trials.gov , number NCT02859753 . FINDINGS Between Nov 15 , 2011 , and Feb 27 , 2015 , 152 patients were r and omly assigned : 76 patients to receive microwave ablation and 76 patients to receive radiofrequency ablation .  For the per- protocol analysis , five patients were excluded from the microwave ablation group as were three patients from the radiofrequency ablation group . Median follow-up was 26 months ( IQR 18 - 29 ) in the microwave ablation group and 25 months ( 18 - 34 ) in the radiofrequency ablation group . At 2 years , six ( 6 % ) of 98 lesions had local tumour progression in the microwave ablation group as did 12 ( 12 % ) of 104 in the radiofrequency ablation group ( risk ratio 1·62 , 95 % CI 0·66 - 3·94 ; p=0·27 ) . Complications were infrequent , with only two grade 4 complications ( two events of arterial bleeding requiring embolisation , both in the microwave ablation group ) and three grade 3 complications ( pneumothorax ; lesion of the umbilical vein ; and intrahepatic segmental necrosis , all in the radiofrequency ablation group ) . No treatment-related deaths were reported . INTERPRETATION Although we did not find that microwave ablation was more effective than radiofrequency ablation for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma lesions of 4 cm or smaller , our results show that the proportion of lesions with local tumour progression at 2 years of follow-up was low with both tested percutaneous methods . FUNDING Microsulis ( AngioDynamics ) Purpose To compare MWA and RFA combined with TACE for HCC nodules exceeding 3 cm . Methods 19 lesions su bmi tted to MWA ( G1 ) were retrospectively compared with a combined treatment group ( G2 ) matching by tumor characteristics ( mean size 43 and 45 mm in G1 and G2 , respectively ) . Technical success , complications , complete ablation ( CA ) , and maintained CA ( mCA ) were evaluated . Results Technical success was achieved in all cases . Overall mortality was zero , both in G1 and G2 . No significant differences were found in complications rates ( 3 in G1 and 2 in G2 ) . CA was obtained in 11 ( 58 % ) HCC in G1 and 15 ( 79 % ) in G2 ( p = n.s . ) . CA was obtained in 75.5 % ( G1 ) and 89 % ( G2 ) nodules up to 4 cm , 45 % and 70 % nodules > 4 cm , respectively . At statistical analysis , size result ed as predictor for CA only in G1 ( mean diameter of CA vs non-CA 39.9 vs. 47.7 mm , p = 0.021 ) . During follow-up ( 13.1 and 14.4 months in G1 and G2 ) , mCA occurred in 6/19 ( 32 % ) nodules in G1 , 8/19 ( 42 % ) in G2 . Conclusion MWA and combined therapy are comparable as for safety . No significant differences were found in terms of technique effectiveness . Larger r and omized studies should be design ed to confirm MWA as a valid alternative to combined therapy Background and aim The risk of local tumour progression ( LTP ) and factors predicting LTP following percutaneous thermal ablation ( PTA ) of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC ) have not been well studied in non-trial setting s and may be underestimated . We aim ed to assess these outcomes in a multicentre study . Patients and methods This was a retrospective review of consecutive patients with early-stage HCC treated with a curative intent across three tertiary Australian centres between 2006 and 2012 with either radiofrequency ablation or microwave ablation .  The primary endpoint was LTP and multivariate analysis was carried out to identify the independent predictors of LTP . Results In total 145 HCC nodules were treated in 126 patients ( 78 % men , mean±SD age 62±10 years ) with a mean±SD follow-up of 13.5±13 months . Local recurrence was observed in 23.4 % ( 34/145 ) . Mean±SD LTP-free survival was 46.9±3.6 months . For HCC nodules 2 cm or less , local recurrence rates were lower ( 15.9 % ) , with a mean±SD LTP-free survival of 48.8±4.2 months . Poorly differentiated HCC [ hazard ratio ( 95 % confidence interval)=4.8 ( 1.1–20.4 ) , P=0.032 ] and pretreatment & agr;-fetoprotein more than 50 kIU/l [ 8.2 ( 1.7–39.0 ) , P=0.008 ] were independent predictors of LTP . LTP rates were not significantly different between the radiofrequency ablation and the microwave ablation groups ( 22.8 vs. 25.8 % , P=0.7 ) . There were six ( 4.8 % ) procedure-related adverse events , but no deaths . Conclusion Local recurrence after PTA for early-stage HCC is high in routine clinical practice . Poorly differentiated HCC and pretreatment & agr;-fetoprotein are important , independent predictors of LTP . Further 
    Output:
    
Conclusions : Percutaneous (P)-MWA had similar therapeutic effects compared with P-RFA for HCC .
Patients undergoing laparoscopic MWA  had a lower LR rate ; however , their major complication rate appeared to be higher .