Liver resection vs radiofrequency ablation in single hepatocellular carcinoma of posterosuperior segments in elderly patients

Table 1 Preoperative characteristics before and after propensity score matching, according to the procedure

	Before PSM (n: 77)					After PSM (n: 52)
	RFA (n: 40)	Surgery (n: 37)		P value		RFA (n: 26)	Surgery (n: 26)			P value
Male, n (%)	28 (70)	27 (73)	0.80		17 (65)			16 (62)	1.0
Age (yr) median (range)	74.5 (70-87)	74.98 (70-83)	0.80		75 (70-81)			74.26 (70-81)	0.43
BMI (kg/cm²) median (range)	26.7 (19-51)	26.7 (22-36)	0.90		26.7 (19-51)			26.7 (22-36)	0.48
Comorbidity ≥ 2, n (%)	23 (57)	14 (38)	0.10		12 (46)			10 (40)	0.78
Cause of cirrhosis, n (%)			0.30						0.71
Hepatitis C virus, n (%)	21 (53)	19 (50)			16 (61)			16 (61)
Hepatitis B virus, n (%)	5 (12)	10 (27)			4 (15)			6 (23)
Alcohol, n (%)	6 (15)	4 (12)			3 (12)			1 (4)
Others, n (%)	8 (20)	4 (11)			3 (12)			3 (12)
F4 cirrhosis, n (%)	33 (82)	19 (51)	0.01		22 (85)			12 (46)	0.01
ASA score, n (%)			0.05						0.35
I/II, n (%)	11 (28)	19 (51)			10 (40)			11 (42)
III/IV, n (%)	29 (72)	18 (49)			16 (61)			15 (58)
Preoperative blood tests median (range)
Bilirubin (µmol/L) median (range)	1 (1-1.1)	1 (1-2)	0.55		1 (1-1.1)			1 (1-1)	0.90
Platelet count × 109/L median (range)	118 (52-380)	173 (55-387)	0.01		137 (69-380)			183 (55-340)	0.06
INR median (range)	1 (1-2)	1 (1-2)	0.40		1 (1-1.2)			1 (1-2)	0.06
AFP (mg/mL) median (range)	5 (1-1988)	12.5 (2-3900)	0.14		6.5 (1-1988)			7 (2-3900)	0.64
Child-Pugh, n (%)			0.20						0.06
A	37 (93)	30 (81)			26 (100)			21 (81)
B	3 (7)	7 (19)			0 (0)			5 (19)
MELD median (range)	8 (6-15)	6 (6-16)	0.01		8 (6-15)			7 (6-16)	0.23
Tumors size (mm) median (range)	23 (10-30)	29 (12-30)	0.02		20.5 (10-30)			23 (15-30)	0.08
Tumor locations, n (%)			0.10						0.45
4a	3 (7)	3 (8)			2 (8)			2 (8)
7	8 (20)	17 (46)			4 (15)			9 (34)
8	23 (58)	14 (38)			17 (65)			13 (50)
7-8	6 (15)	3 (8)			3 (12)			2 (8)
Histological proven, n (%)	7 (17)	8 (22)	0.80		6 (23)			8 (31)	0.75

AFP: α-fetoprotein; ASA: American Society of Anaesthesiology; BMI: Body mass index; INR: International normalized ratio; MELD: Model of end-stage liver disease; PSM: Propensity score matching; RFA: Radiofrequency ablation.

Table 2 Perioperative characteristics before and after propensity score matching, according to the procedure

	Before PSM (n: 77)				After PSM (n: 52)
	RFA (n: 40)	Surgery (n: 37)	P value		RFA (n: 26)	Surgery (n: 26)	P value
Operative time (min) median (range)	23.5 (5-55)	260 (120-600)	< 0.01	20 (5-26)		165 (120-383)	< 0.01
Blood transfusion, n (%)	3 (7)	7 (19)	0.20	3 (12)		5 (19)	0.70
Postoperative complications, n (%)	9 (22)	16 (43)	0.09	5 (19)		14 (54)	0.02
Dindo-Clavien classification, n (%)
I-II	9 (22)	11 (30)	0.60	5 (19)		10 (40)	0.20
III-IV	0 (0)	5 (13)	0.02	0 (0)		2 (8)	0.50
Type of complications, n (%)
Liver failure	0 (0)	2 (5)	0.22	0 (0)		2 (8)	0.50
Ascites	0 (0)	4 (11)	0.05	0 (0)		4 (15)	0.11
Biliary leakage	0 (0)	1 (3)	0.50	0 (0)		1 (4)	1
Hemorrhage	1 (2)	2 (5)	0.60	1 (4)		1 (4)	1.0
Systemic infection	0 (0)	4 (11)	0.05	0 (0)		4 (15)	0.11
Intra-abdominal abscess	0 (0)	2 (5)	0.23	0 (0)		1 (4)	1.0
Wound infection	0 (0)	0 (0)		0 (0)		0 (0)
Portal thrombosis	0 (0)	0 (0)		0 (0)		0 (0)
Pulmonary	3 (7)	3 (8)	1	1 (4)		3 (12)	0.61
Cardiac	1 (2)	2 (5)	0.60	0 (0)		2 (8)	0.50
Renal	1 (2)	3 (8)	0.35	1 (4)		2 (8)	1.0
Reoperation, n (%)	0 (0)	0 (0)		0 (0)		0 (0)
Postoperative treatment, n (%)	0 (0)	2 (5)	0.23	0 (0)		1 (4)	1.0
Length of hospital stay (d) median (range)	2 (1-15)	6 (2-203)	< 0.01	3 (1-9)		7.5 (2-203)	< 0.01
90 d mortality, n (%)	2 (5)	2 (5)	1.0	2 (8)		2 (8)	1.0
Recurrence, n (%)	21 (52)	15 (40)	0.40	12 (46)		11 (42)	1.0

PSM: Propensity score matching; RFA: Radiofrequency ablation.