LAUSR

tumor progression at or adjacent to the ablation site after 1 RFA session. A previous retrospective study excluded patients with incomplete ablation from analysis. Some studies allowed up to 3 iterative ablative procedures for a complete ablation during a 3-month period. In this study, 5 patients with local recurrence can be defined as those with incomplete ablation rather than local recurrence on the basis of these criteria. Therefore, the different definitions regarding incomplete treatment and local recurrence would surely affect the local recurrence rates and make direct comparison not feasible. Meanwhile, there are conflicting reports regarding the comparative efficacy of resection and ablation for patients with very early-stage HCC. Aside from many cohort-based studies, a nationwide survey from Japan showed benefits of SR for patients with preserved liver function who had a single HCC of 2 cm or smaller. Yet more real-world evidence is required before we can answer this problem with confidence. An ongoing national-level randomized controlled trial from Japan and other adequately designed studies may help answer this question.