Twelve patients (17.4%) in the SR group died during the follow-up period. The causes of death were HCC recurrence (9 patients), liver failure (2 patients) and miscellaneous (1 patient). The 1-, 3-and 5-year overall survival rates after PRFA and SR were 95.4%, 79.6% and 63.1%, respectively in the PRFA group and 100%, 81.4% and 74.6%, respectively in the SR group (Figure 1) . The corresponding recurrence free survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years after PRFA and SR were 82.0%, 38.3% and 18.0%, respectively in the PRFA group and 86.0%, 47.2% and 26.0%, respectively in the SR group (Figure 2) .