RFA vs. SBRT for Small HCC

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the malignant tumors that seriously threaten the health of people. Its morbidity and mortality rank the third and the second among various malignant tumors in China, respectively. Local ablation therapy represented by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been recommended as a first-line treatment for small HCC by most international guidelines. Especially for central small HCC, RFA is considered the first-line choice. With the advancement of radiotherapy equipment and the development of precise imaging technology, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has become one of the important treatments for liver cancer.Retrospective controlled studies have shown that SBRT is similar to RFA in treating small HCC, and the local control rate may be better than RFA. But there is no high-level evidence to support which treatment is superior. This project aims to conduct a phase III, prospective, randomized, open, parallel controlled clinical study of RFA versus SBRT for small HCC (solitary tumor≤ 5.0 cm). The results will provide potent evidence for the rational and effective treatment of early HCC and the improvement of clinical guidelines for HCC.