Combination of radiofrequency ablation with transarterial chemoembolization for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: experience from a Danish tertiary liver center

BackgroundRecent studies have shown that the combination of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may offer a survival advantage compared to monotherapy.PurposeTo study the effectiveness of combination therapy with RFA and TACE compared to that of TACE alone in a Scandinavian tertiary liver cancer center.Material and MethodsA retrospective study of the patients treated with combination therapy vis-a-vis TACE alone from June 2007 to November 2012 was performed. Eighteen patients were treated with a combination of RFA and TACE with an interval of 1–4 days between the treatments. For comparison, a group of 18 patients treated with TACE as monotherapy in the same time period was matched with the combination group by demographic data, tumor characteristics, biochemical and clinical parameters, and performance status (PS).ResultsEach group consisted of 14 patients with cirrhosis and four without. There were no significant differe...