Table 4.
Summary of analyses: MWA versus MWA + HR
| Outcome | Number of studies included in meta-analysis | Summary effect* (95% CI); P value | Heterogeneity (I2 value) (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary outcome | |||
| LTR | 2 | 1.66 (0.32, 8.66); P = 0.103 | 62 |
| Secondary outcomes | |||
| OS (1-year) | 3 | 1.04 (0.93, 1.17); P = 0.495 | 0 |
| OS (3-year) | 3 | 1.24 (0.81, 1.89); P = 0.322 | 11 |
| Length of hospital stay (days) | 2 | − 1.98 (− 7.86, 3.90); P = 0.508 | 94 |
| DFS (1-year) | 2 | 0.78 (0.31, 1.94); P = 0.59 | 66 |
| DFS (3-year) | 2 | 0.59 (0.18, 1.91); P = 0.383 | 43 |
| Overall complications | 3 | 0.39 (0.18, 0.85); P = 0.018 | 20 |
| Major complications | 2 | 0.24 (0.09, 0.60); P = 0.002 | 0 |
*Risk ratio (RR) for MWA + HR versus HR for all outcomes except hospital length of stay, which is 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, HR hepatic resection, LTR local tumor recurrence, MWA microwave ablation, OS overall survival, RR risk ratio