Aim: The goal of this study was to compare the postoperative results of liver resection and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (3-5 cm). Patients and methods: We retrospectively collected 122 patients with small solitary HCC treated at our center from Jan 2011 to Dec 2015, with diameters in the range of 3-5 cm. According to the treatment program received at our center, they were divided into the liver resection group (72 patients) and the RFA

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... group (50 patients). Result: In comparison with the RFA group, the resection group had a longer operative time, and greater intra-operative blood loss (P<0.01), more hepatic inflow occlusion , and longer postoperative hospital stay (P<0.01). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year expected overall survival rates and tumor-free survival rates were comparable between the two groups. Cox regression analysis showed that resection or RFA was not a significant risk factor for overall or tumor-free survival for HCC. Conclusions: For solitary HCC of 3-5 cm in diameter, RFA can achieve better in-hospital clinical results and similar long-term outcomes, and RFA can be considered for wide application, especially for central cases.