Table 6. Summary of finding table for HCC patients with tumor size ≤3cm in NRCTs.
| Event,% | Effect estimate# | Illustrative comparative risks(95%CI)Ψ | ||||||||||
| Indicators | Subgroup | Years | No. of Participants (studies) | RFA | HR | OR,95% CI | I2 (%) | P value | NNT or NNH | Assumed risk HR(control)(per 1000) | Corresponding risk RFA(per 1000) | Quality of evidence (GRADE) |
| Overall survival | All | 1-y | 2782(14) | 95.1 | 97.2 | 0.72[0.50,1.04] | 17 | 0.08 | 47.6† | 967 | 955 (936 to 968) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low |
| 3-y | 3156(15) | 80.5 | 86.4 | 0.71[0.48,1.05]& | 68 | 0.09 | 16.9† | 811 | 753 (673 to 818) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| 5-y | 2636(12) | 71.1 | 93.3 | 0.62[0.43,0.90]& | 67 | 0.01* | 4.5† | 764 | 667 (582 to 744) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| Child A | 1-y | 1632(9) | 96.0 | 95.8 | 0.94[0.58,1.53] | 22 | 0.81 | 500.0‡ | 981 | 980 (968 to 972) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | |
| 3-y | 1632(9) | 81.5 | 86.5 | 0.66[0.33,1.32]& | 77 | 0.24 | 20.0† | 881 | 830 (710 to 907) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| 5-y | 1386(6) | 72.4 | 80.9 | 0.64[0.38,1.08]& | 65 | 0.09 | 11.8† | 824 | 750 (640 to 835) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| Single HCC | 1-y | 1516(8) | 94.7 | 95.7 | 0.67[0.42,1.09] | 9 | 0.11 | 100.0† | 982 | 973 (958 to 983) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | |
| 3-y | 1516(8) | 80.4 | 87.2 | 0.59[0.32,1.09]& | 70 | 0.09 | 14.7† | 898 | 839 (738 to 906) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| 5-y | 1516(8) | 64.3 | 77.9 | 0.52[0.31,0.87]& | 74 | 0.01* | 7.4† | 773 | 639 (514 to 748) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| Single + Child A | 1-y | 1009(6) | 94.6 | 95.2 | 0.83[0.48,1.46] | 43 | 0.52 | 166.7† | 990 | 988 (979 to 993) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | |
| 3-y | 1009(6) | 79.5 | 88.5 | 0.38[0.12,1.16]& | 80 | 0.09 | 11.1† | 935 | 845 (633 to 943) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| 5-y | 978(5) | 71.3 | 81.7 | 0.58[0.28,1.19]& | 69 | 0.14 | 9.6† | 840 | 753 (595 to 862) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| Disease-free survival | All | 1-y | 1722(9) | 71.6 | 85.2 | 0.43[0.34,0.55] | 45 | <0.00001* | 7.4† | 854 | 716 (665 to 763) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low |
| 3-y | 1722(9) | 43.1 | 64.3 | 0.45[0.31,0.64]& | 54 | <0.0001* | 4.7† | 604 | 407 (321 to 494) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| 5-y | 1592(7) | 24.8 | 46.2 | 0.50[0.26,0.97]& | 83 | 0.04* | 4.7† | 357 | 217 (126 to 350) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| Child A | 1-y | 772(4) | 76.9 | 86.6 | 0.52[0.36,0.75] | 45 | 0.0006* | 10.3† | 876 | 771 (700 to 829) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | |
| 3-y | 772(4) | 57.7 | 71.7 | 0.55[0.40,0.74] | 0 | 0.0001* | 7.1† | 649 | 504 (425 to 578) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| 5-y | 627(2) | 42.8 | 53.7 | 0.66[0.48,0.91] | 0 | 0.01* | 9.2† | 482 | 380 (309 to 459) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| Single HCC | 1-y | 1024(5) | 78.7 | 86.4 | 0.54[0.39,0.75] | 38 | 0.0003* | 13.0† | 859 | 767 (704 to 820) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | |
| 3-y | 1024(5) | 53.5 | 68.7 | 0.55[0.43,0.72] | 0 | <0.0001* | 6.6† | 615 | 468 (407 to 535) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| 5-y | 1024(5) | 32.3 | 46.7 | 0.69[0.35,1.36]& | 78 | 0.28 | 6.9† | 404 | 319 (192 to 480) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| Single + Child A | 1-y | 717(3) | 75.9 | 87.0 | 0.48[0.33,0.71] | 38 | 0.0003* | 9.0† | 898 | 809 (744 to 862) | ⊕⊕⊕⊖ moderate | |
| 3-y | 717(3) | 79.5 | 88.5 | 0.55[0.40,0.75] | 80 | 0.09 | 11.1† | 712 | 576 (497 to 650) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| 5-y | 627(2) | 42.8 | 53.7 | 0.66[0.48,0.91] | 0 | 0.01* | 9.2† | 482 | 380 (309 to 459) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| Recurrence-free survival | All | 1-y | 1467(5) | 78.8 | 77.6 | 1.02[0.79,1.31] | 0 | 0.89 | 83.3‡ | 757 | 761 (711 to 803) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low |
| 3-y | 1467(5) | 44.5 | 50.6 | 0.85[0.69,1.05] | 17 | 0.13 | 16.4† | 493 | 453 (402 to 505) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| 5-y | 1307(4) | 29.2 | 37.4 | 0.76[0.40,1.43]& | 83 | 0.39 | 12.2† | 368 | 307 (189 to 454) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| Child A | 1-y | 1236(4) | 77.8 | 76.7 | 1.05[0.80,1.38] | 0 | 0.71 | 90.9‡ | 748 | 757 (725 to 820) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | |
| 3-y | 1236(4) | 46.2 | 50.9 | 0.88[0.70,1.11] | 27 | 0.27 | 21.3† | 514 | 482 (425 to 540) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| 5-y | 1076(3) | 32.9 | 38.7 | 0.81[0.36,1.83]& | 89 | 0.61 | 17.2† | 370 | 322 (175 to 518) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| Single HCC | 1-y | 899(3) | 78.2 | 76.0 | 1.03[0.74,1.42] | 0 | 0.87 | 45.5 | 757 | 762 (697 to 816) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | |
| 3-y | 899(3) | 49.0 | 52.2 | 0.96[0.73,1.26] | 26 | 0.79 | 31.3† | 521 | 511 (443 to 578) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| 5-y | 899(3) | 34.8 | 37.7 | 1.05[0.79,1.39] | 37 | 0.75 | 34.5† | 370 | 381 (317 to 449) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | ||
| Single + Child A | 1-y | 668(2) | 76.0 | 74.3 | 1.09[0.76,1.56] | 0 | 0.63 | 58.8‡ | 748 | 764 (693 to 822) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | |
| 3-y | 668(2) | 55.1 | 53.0 | 1.07[0.78,1.46] | 0 | 0.68 | 47.6‡ | 544 | 561 (482 to 635) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| 5-y | 668(2) | 44.5 | 39.7 | 1.17[0.86,1.61] | 0 | 0.32 | 20.8‡ | 442 | 481 (405 to 560) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| Recurrence | All | 1-y | 490(2) | 12.9 | 15.4 | 0.83[0.49,1.40] | 0 | 0.48 | 40.0‡ | 163 | 139 (87 to 214) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low |
| 3-y | 490(2) | 50.7 | 45.2 | 0.95[0.29,3.11]& | 87 | 0.94 | 18.1† | 493 | 480 (220 to 751) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| 5-y | 490(2) | 66.2 | 59.0 | 0.95[0.21,4.28]& | 91 | 0.94 | 13.9† | 638 | 626 (270 to 883) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
| Child A | 1-y | 116(1) | 18.2 | 18.0 | 1.01[0.39,2.63] | — | 0.98 | 500.0† | 180 | 181 (79to 366) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | |
| 3-y | 116(1) | 40.9 | 58.0 | 0.50[0.24,1.06] | — | 0.07 | 5.8‡ | 580 | 408 (249 to 594) | ⊕⊕⊕⊖ moderate | ||
| 5-y | 116(1) | 54.5 | 74.0 | 0.42[0.19,0.93] | — | 0.03* | 5.1‡ | 740 | 544 (351 to 726) | ⊕⊕⊕⊖ moderate | ||
| Complication rate | All | 1248(7) | 7.1 | 16.0 | 0.44[0.29,0.65] | 35 | <0.0001* | 11.2‡ | 66 | 30 (20 to 44) | ⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low | |
| Child A | 305(2) | 11.2 | 31.1 | 0.36[0.12,1.12]& | 55 | 0.08 | 5.0‡ | 290 | 128 (47 to 314) | ⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low | ||
Ψ: The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95%CI);
# Statistical method (M-H, random-effect model); & Statistical method (M-H, fixed-effect model).
,NNH(Number needed to harm);
‡,NNT(Number needed to treat);
*:p<0.05