Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2025

Y-90 Radioembolization and PD-1 Inhibitor as Neoadjuvant Treatment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Published on: May 24, 2024
Hepatic Resection vs Particle Therapy as an Initial Treatment for Single Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Bi-institutional
Satoshi Omiya1, Shohei Komatsu1, Kazuki Terashima2
1From the Department of Surgery, Division of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan (Omiya, Komatsu, Yamasaki, Toyama, Fukumoto).
Background:
Curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited to hepatic resection (HR), radiofrequency ablation, and liver transplantation, but the value of particle therapy (PT) as an initial treatment remains unclear. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of HR and PT for single HCC.
Study Design:
A total of 554 patients with single HCC without vascular invasion were enrolled from January 2000 to December 2015. Patients underwent either HR (n = 279) or PT (n = 275) as initial treatments. A one-to-one propensity score-matching analysis was performed to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival after dividing patients according to liver function as assessed by the modified albumin-bilirubin grade.
Results:
The median OS (130 vs 85 months, p = 0.001) and progression-free survival (47 vs 30 months HR, p = 0.004) of HR were also significantly better than that of PT in the propensity score-matching cohort with modified albumin-bilirubin grade 1/2a (n = 145 per group). Meanwhile, in a propensity score-matching cohort with modified albumin-bilirubin grade 2b/3 (n = 53 per group), there were no significant differences in median OS and progression-free survival between HR and PT.
Conclusions:
HR may be preferable as an initial treatment for patients with single HCC without vascular invasion, especially those with preserved liver function. PT can be an acceptable alternative to HR for patients without surgical indication and/or impaired liver function.

