Table 1.
Characteristics of the four studies included in the meta-analysis.
| Publication | Design | Country | Study population | Total subjects | NOS score | Exposure and control definitions | Median follow-up, months | Adjusting factors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21Huang, 2019 | Cohort | China | Patients with HCC and microvascular infiltration | 49 | 6 | Ex: sorafenib following hepatectomy (n = 16); C: no sorafenib following hepatectomy (n = 33) | 22.2 | Study exposure |
| 22Peng, 2019 | Cohort | China | Patients with recurrent HCC and microvascular infiltration following hepatectomy | 127 | 6 | Ex: sorafenib with TACE (n = 55); C: TACE alone (n = 72) | 34.5 | Study exposure and TACE |
| 23Zhang, 2019 | Cohort | China | Patients with HCC and microvascular infiltration | 728 | 7 | Ex: sorafenib following LR (n = 147); C: LR alone (n = 581) | Not reported | Study exposure |
| 24Bi, 2019 | Cohort | China | Patients with HCC and microvascular infiltration | 51 | 6 | Ex: sorafenib following hepatic resection (n = 27); C: hepatic resection alone (n = 24) | Not reported | Study exposure |
Data presented as n prevalence.
HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; NOS, Newcastle–Ottawa scale; Ex, exposure group; C, controls; TACE, transarterial chemoembolization; LR, liver resection.