Table 3.
Summary of analyses: MWA + HR versus HR
| Outcome | Number of studies included in meta-analysis* | Summary effect† (95% CI); P value | Heterogeneity (I2 value) (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary outcome | |||
| LTR | 3 | 0.63 (0.28, 1.41); P = 0.263 | 69 |
| Secondary outcomes | |||
| OS (1-year) | 4 | 0.99 (0.88, 1.11); P = 0.867 | 48 |
| OS (3-year) | 4 | 0.84 (0.49, 1.46); P = 0.541 | 82 |
| OS (5-year) | 2 | 0.74 (0.19, 2.79); P = 0.651 | 91 |
| IDL | 2 | 1.08 (0.61, 1.9); P = 0.793 | 51 |
| EHM† | 2 | 0.82 (0.49, 1.39); P = 0.464 | 27 |
| Operative time (min) | 4 | 13.93 (− 9.69, 37.54); P = 0.248 | 81 |
| Intraoperative blood loss (mL) | 4 | − 161.89 (− 291.49, − 32.30); P = 0.014 | 92 |
| Hospital length of stay (days) | 2 | 0.08 (− 2.04, 2.19); P = 0.942 | 0 |
| DFS (1-year) | 3 | 0.95 (0.65, 1.40); P = 0.80 | 82 |
| DFS (3-year) | 3 | 1.01 (0.69, 1.48); P = 0.944 | 51 |
| Overall complications | 5 | 0.86 (0.63, 1.18); P = 0.353 | 0 |
| Major complications | 4 | 0.89 (0.57, 1.38); P = 0.588 | 12 |
| Minor complications | 3 | 0.83 (0.64, 1.08); P = 0.174 | 0 |
| Blood transfusion | 3 | 0.45 (0.14, 1.41); P = 0.171 | 85 |
*Three studies [11, 12, 16] included in this comparison used microwave radiation for pre-transection coagulation rather than tumor ablation
†Risk ratio (RR) for MWA + HR versus HR for all outcomes except operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and hospital length of stay, which are reported as the weighted mean difference (WMD). Italicized values indicate statistical significance. Point estimates and confidence intervals were calculated using a random effects model
Abbreviations: CI confidence interval, DFS disease-free survival, EHM extrahepatic metastasis, IDL intrahepatic de novo lesions, HR hepatic resection, LTR local tumor recurrence, MWA microwave ablation, OS overall survival, RR risk ratio