***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 BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC ) is a major burden on health-care systems worldwide . Although radiofrequency ablation ( RFA ) is currently considered the best technique for coagulative necrosis , the superiority of concomitant use of RFA and percutaneous ethanol injection ( PEI ) needs to be determined . The study was design ed to compare efficacy , safety and rate of survival of patients with HCC assigned to receive combined PEI-RFA versus RFA alone and versus PEI alone . PATIENTS AND METHODS This 3-year study enrolled 90 cirrhotic patients with HCC ( Child 's class A or B , but not class C ) . They were r and omly assigned for either PEI-RFA ( group I ) , RFA alone ( group II ) or PEI alone ( group III ) . The primary end point was ablation of the tumour . The secondary end point was rate of survival and recurrence . RESULTS After the first session , complete ablation was significantly higher in the combination group ( 87.9 % ) compared with the RFA group ( 54.54 % ) . After the second session , complete ablation was achieved in 97.0 % of the combination group and in 84.8 % of the RFA group . Regarding the PEI group , 75 % had complete ablation , whereas 25 % had partial ablation after multiple sessions . The survival rate , 1.5 years later , was significantly higher in group I ( 86.7 % ) compared with group III ( 63.3 % ) . The overall incidence of serious adverse events was nil . CONCLUSION Combined treatment is superior to RFA alone and to PEI alone , in safety and efficacy in patients with HCC Purpose Although there are several prospect i ve clinical studies comparing radiofrequency ablation ( RFA ) and hepatic resection ( HR ) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma , there are few trials that have been performed in strictly homogeneous patients . Methods Patients who were newly diagnosed with a solitary hepatocellular carcinoma were r and omized to the HR or RFA group . Inclusion criteria were as follows : age ≥ 20 years but ≤ 70 years , Child-Pugh class A , maximal diameter of the tumor ≥ 2 cm but ≤ 4 cm , no previous treatment history , and platelet count > 80,000/mm3 . Results Although the study was early terminated , 29 and 34 patients were enrolled in the  HR and RFA groups , respectively , and prospect ively followed on an intention-to-treat basis . The 5-year overall survival rates were 83.4 % and 86.2 % in the HR and RFA groups , respectively , which were not significantly different ( P = 0.812 by log-rank , P = 0.990 by Breslow ) . The 3- and 5-year disease-free survival rates in the HR group were significantly superior to those in the RFA group ( 66.7 % , 44.4 % vs. 44.1 % , 31.2 % , P = 0.071 by log-rank , P = 0.023 by Breslow ) . Intrahepatic local recurrence tended to develop more frequently in the RFA group ( P = 0.042 ) , while the frequency of intrahepatic distant and extrahepatic recurrence was similar bet ween the 2 groups . There were no significant differences in the frequency and severity of complications between the 2 groups . Conclusion HR was significantly superior to RFA in terms of disease-free survival ; however , the overall survival was excellent in both groups Objective : To compare the results of percutaneous local ablative therapy ( PLAT ) with surgical resection in the treatment of solitary and small hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC ) . Summary Background Data : PLAT is effective in small HCC . Whether it is as effective as surgical resection in the long-term survivals remains unknown . Methods : We conducted a prospect i ve r and omized trial on 180 patients with a solitary HCC ≦5 cm to receive either PLAT or surgical resection .  The patients were regularly followed up after treatment with physical examination , blood , and radiologic tests . Results : Of the 90 patients who were r and omized to PLAT , only 71 received PLAT because 19 withdrew their consent . Of the 90 patients who were r and omized to surgical resection , a single Couinaud liver segment resection was carried out in 69 patients , 2 segments in 16 patients , and 3 or more segments in 3 patients . Ethanol injection was given during open surgery in 2 patients . Only 1 patient died after surgical resection within the same hospital admission . Posttreatment complications were more often and severe after surgery than PLAT . The 1- , 2- , 3- , and 4-year overall survival rates  after PLAT and surgery were 95.8 % , 82.1 % , 71.4 % , 67.9 % and 93.3 % , 82.3 % , 73.4 % , 64.0 % , respectively . The corresponding disease-free survival rates were 85.9 % , 69.3 % , 64.1 % , 46.4 % and 86.6 % , 76.8 % , 69 % , 51.6 % , respectively . Statistically , there was no difference between these 2 treatments . Conclusion : PLAT was as effective as surgical resection in the treatment of solitary and small HCC . PLAT had the advantage over surgical resection in being less invasive The effect of percutaneous microwave ablation and laparoscopic resection on the prognosis of liver cancer  was investigated . Ninety patients with liver cancer treated at our hospital from March 2010 to March 2012 were divided into group A and group B ( n=45 ) by using a r and om number table , and the surgical conditions and the prognosis were compared . The surgical conditions of patients in group A were significantly better than those in group B ( P<0.05 ) . The incidence of complications in group A was 6.67 % , which was obviously lower than that of group B ( P<0.05 ) . The local recurrence rate of group A was 20.00 % , and that of group B was 8.89 % , which showed a significant difference ( P<0.05 ) . The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of either total recurrence rate ( P>0.05 ) or 1-year , 2-year and 3-year survival ( P>0.05 ) . Both percutaneous microwave ablation and laparoscopic resection had a good long-term efficacy in liver cancer . However , percutaneous microwave ablation was superior as it caused less invasiveness , reduced the incidence of complications and improved prognosis of liver cancer PURPOSE To prospect ively compare combined radiofrequency ablation and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization ( TACE ) with radiofrequency ablation alone for the treatment of small ( < or =3 cm ) hepatocellular carcinomas ( HCCs ) . MATERIAL S AND METHODS The ethics committee of the study institution approved the study protocol . Written informed consent was obtained from all patients at enrollment . Eighty-nine patients with 93 HCC nodules 0.8 - 3.0 cm ( mean + /- st and ard deviation , 1.7 cm + /- 0.5 ) in diameter were r and omly treated with combined radiofrequency ablation and TACE ( 46 patients with 49 nodules ) or with radiofrequency ablation alone ( 43 patients with 44 nodules ) . The patients were followed up for 9 - 68 months ( mean + /- st and ard deviation , 30.4 months + /- 14.0 ) . Rates of local tumor progression , overall survival , local progression-free survival , and event-free survival were evaluated by using the Kaplan-Meier method . RESULTS The 1- , 2- , 3- , and 4-year rates of local tumor progression , overall survival , local progression-free survival , and recurrence-free survival were as follows : Local tumor progression rates were 14.4 % , 17.6 % , 17.6 % , and 17.6 % , respectively , in the combined treatment group and 11.4 % , 14.4 % , 14.4 % , and 14.4 % , respectively , in the radiofrequency ablation group ( P = .797 ) . Overall survival rates were 100 % , 100 % , 84.8 % , and 72.7 % , respectively , in the combined treatment group and 100 % , 88.8 % , 84.5 % , and 74.0 % , respectively , in the radiofrequency ablation group ( P = .515 ) . Local progression-free survival rates were 84.6 % , 81.1 % , 69.7 % , and 55.8 % , respectively , in the combined treatment group and 88.4 % , 74.1 % , 74.1 % , and 61.7 % , respectively , in the radio 
    Output:
    
There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up between surgery and radiofrequency ablation in people eligible for surgery .
All-cause mortality at maximal follow-up was higher with percutaneous acetic acid injection and percutaneous alcohol injection than with radiofrequency ablation in people not eligible for surgery .
There was no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality at maximal follow-up for the other comparisons .