Table 7. Summary of finding table for solitary HCC patients with tumor size ≤2 cm in NRCTs.

			Event,%		Effect estimate				Illustrative comparative risks(95%CI)Ψ
Indicators	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	1-y	365(3)	98.4	95.5	2.60[0.73,9.29]&	22	0.14	34.5‡	981	993(974 to 998)	⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low
	3-y	365(3)	85.7	84.6	0.65[0.10,4.01]#	83	0.64	90.9‡	920	882(535 to 979)	⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low
	5-y	365(3)	79.4	74.4	1.30[0.79,2.15]&	41	0.30	20.0‡	827	861(791 to 911)	⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low
Disease-free survival	1-y	104(1)	67.1	89.8	0.22[0.07,0.65]&	—	0.006*	4.4†	904	674(397 to 860)	⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low
	3-y	104(1)	46.4	62.1	0.54[0.25,1.17]&	—	0.12	6.4†	615	463(285 to 651)	⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low
	5-y	104(1)	38.0	40.7	0.92[0.42,2.03]&	—	0.84	37.0†	404	384(222 to 579)	⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low
Recurrence-free survival	1-y	145(1)	76.4	75.6	1.02[0.48,2.19]&	—	0.96	125.0‡	757	761(599 to 872)	⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low
	3-y	145(1)	65.2	56.1	1.40[0.72,2.74]&	—	0.32	11.0‡	568	648(486 to 783)	⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low
	5-y	145(1)	59.8	51.3	1.37[0.71,2.65]&	—	0.35	11.8‡	514	592(429 to 737)	⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low
Recurrence	1-y	116(1)	18.2	18.9	1.01[0.39,2.63]&	—	0.98	142.9‡	180	181(79 to 366)	⊕⊖ ⊖ ⊖ very low
	3-y	116(1)	40.5	57.4	0.50[0.24,1.06]&	—	0.07	5.9‡	580	408(249 to 594)	⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low
	5-y	116(1)	54.8	74.8	0.42[0.19,0.93]&	—	0.03*	5.0‡	740	544(351 to 726)	⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ low
Complication rate		145(1)	19.1	51.4	0.23[0.11,0.49]&	—	0.0001*	3.1‡	514	196(104 to 341)	⊕⊕⊖ ⊖ 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