Table 1.

Characteristics of selected studies

Study	Design	Location	HCC patients, n		Patients characteristics		Tumors characteristics		Main findings
			total	BCLC-B*	age, years	gender, male, %	n	size, cm
Ho et al. [28], 2009	NRCT	Taipei, Taiwan	1,065	285	59±12	81	≥2: 100%	5–7	OS at 1-, 3-, 5-year, PH 77, 52, 37% vs. TACE = 63, 25, 11% [HR 1.61; 95% CI 1.30–2.01 p < 0.001]
Zhonget al. [29], 2013	NRCT	Guangxi, China	392	89	48±12	92	>1: 23%	9	OS at 1-, 3-, 5-year, PH 84, 59, 37% vs. TACE = 69, 29, 14% [HR 2.15; 95% CI 1.59–2.90 p < 0.001]
Jianyong et al. [30], 2014	NRCT	Chengdu, China	923	562	53±10	72	2–3: 38% >3: 23%	7	OS at 1-, 3-, 5-year, PH 84, 71, 61% vs. TACE = 85, 62, 45% [HR 2.22; 95% CI 1.78–3.02 p < 0.001)
Yin et al. [11], 2014	RCT	Shangai, China	173	173	53±9	93	2: 60% >2: 40%	10	OS at 1-, 3-, 5-year, PH 76, 64, 52% vs. TACE = 52, 35, 18% [HR 2.32; 95% CI 1.56–3.45 p < 0.001)
Ciria et al. [31], 2015	NRCT	Cordoba, Spain	80	80	66±10	76	2	6.9	OS at 1-, 3-, 5-year, PH 83, 53, 44% vs. TACE = 68, 48, 39% No difference in 5-years OS (p = 0.229)
Kim et al. [32], 2016	NRCT	Seoul, Korea	277	277	57–58	87	2: 48% >2: 52%	<5: 54% >5: 46%	OS at 1-, 3-, 5-year, PH 92, 65, 52% vs. TACE = 78, 39, 28% [HR 1.64; 95% CI 1.07–2.50 p = 0.021)
Tada et al. [12], 2017	PSM-NRCT	Multicenter, Japan	264	264	69±6	83	2–3	4–4.6	OS at 3-, 5-, 7-year, PH 63, 53, 38% vs. TACE = 53, 34, 25% [HR 1.10; 95% CI 1.10–2.86; p = 0.012)
Overall	1 RCT 1 PSM-NRCT 5 NRCT	Asia: 6 Europe: 1	3,174	1,730	48–69	72–93	na	5–10	Consistent increased survival rates after PH, compared to TACE

^*Patients included in the present meta-analysis. AFP, alpha-fetoprotein; BCLC, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; HR, hazard ratio; na, not available; NRCT, nonrandomized controlled trial; OS, overall survival; PH, partial hepatectomy; PSM, propensity score matching; RCT, randomized controlled trial; TACE, transarterial chemoembolization.