Author/year of publication | Design | Inclusion criteria | RFA P, [T] | PEI P, [T] | Child-Pugh A/B/C | Mean follow-up (months/years) | Quality |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Livraghi 24 1999 | quasi-RCT | Cirrhosis/chronic hepatitis and HCC ≤ 3 cm. | 42, [52] | 44, [60] | RFA 39/3/0 PEI 38/6/0 | 10 m. (4–28) | 2Diii |
Lencioni 26 2003 includes Olschewski25 | RCT | Cirrhosis, single HCC ≤ 5 cm or 3 nodules ≥ 3 cm each. HCC at 1 cm hepatic hilum or gallbladder. No vascular invasion or extrahepatic metastasis. Child-Pugh: A or B. No previous treatment. No candidate for resection-transplantation. | 52, [69] | 50, [73] | RFA 45/7/0 PEI 35/15/0 | RFA 22.9 ± 9.4 m. PEI 22.4 ± 8.6 m. | 1iiA |
Lin 27 2004 | RCT | Cirrhosis, HCC 1–4 cm maximum. Child-Pugh A or B. No previous treatment. Tumour site >5 mm from the hilum or common bile duct. | 52, [64] | 52, [56] | RFA 41/11/0 PEI 39/12/0 | RFA 24.5 ± 1.3 m. PEI 23.8 ± 10.4 m. | 1iiA |
Lin 28 2005 | RCT | 1–3 HCC ≤ 3 cm, a minimum of 1 cm from the hilum and gallbladder, no vascular invasion or extrahepatic metastasis. Child-Pugh A or B cirrhosis. Initial treatment. | 62, [78] | 62, [76] | RFA 46/16/0 PEI 47/15/0 | RFA 28 ± 12 m. PEI 26 ± 13 m. | 1iiA |
Shiina 29 2005 | RCT | Unresectable HCC or patient's refusal of surgery. ≤ 3 lesions ≤ 3 cm. Child-Pugh A or B. No extrahepatic metastasis or vascular invasion. No previous or simultaneous malignancy. | 118, [187] | 114, [192] | RFA 85/33/0 PEI 85/29/0 | RFA 0.6–4.3 y. PEI 0.1–4.2 y. | 1iiA |
Brunello 30 2008 | RCT | Cirrhotic patients in Child-Pugh A or B with 1–3 HCC nodes ≤ 3 cm. Tumour site ≥ 1 cm from the hilum, gallbladder, colon or stomach. No venous invasion, no metastatic disease. Patients no suitable for resection or liver transplantation. | 70, [89] | 69, [88] | RFA 39/31/0 PEI 39/30/0 | RFA 26.1 m. PEI 25.3 m. | 1iiA |