Combined the chemoembolization and Radiofrequency ablation for the hepatocellular carcinoma greater than 3 cm,the ablation volume of coagulation necrosis can be significantly increased,which may be enable effective treatment of patients with HCC greater than 3 cm.

To assess whether the effectiveness of a combination of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) and radiofrequency ablation(RFA) is superior to TACE and RFA alone in treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)greater than 3 cm and to analyze the factors affecting the outcomes.

The patients with HCC of 3 or fewer lesions, each 3cm greater in diameter entered this randomized controlled trial. The primary end point was survival, and the secondary end points were tumor response.

Inclusion Criteria:

Eligibility criteria were:

1. Not indicated for resection,
2. Liver function of Child-Pugh class A or B,
3. 3 or fewer lesion, each 3 cm greater and 7.5 cm less in greatest diameter,
4. No portal vein involvement or extrahepatic metastasis,
5. Lesions located at least 5mm away from the hepatic hilum or gall bladder and the common bile duct,
6. Platelet count≥6.0×103/mm3 and the prothrombin activity≥60%, and
7. No previous HCC treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

Exclusion criteria were:

1. Encephalopathy,
2. Refractory ascites,
3. Active gastrointestinal bleeding,
4. Renal failure.