• Dongchun Xuan, Weibo Wen, Dongyuan Xu, and Toufeng Jin.
• Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yanbian University hospital.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Feb 19; 100 (7): e24585e24585.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate and compare the long-term therapeutic efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) versus that of surgical resection in small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsRelevant articles in English from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were retrieved. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated to assess the prognostic value of RFA compared with that of surgical resection.ResultsA total of 19 studies involving 15,071 patients were included. The combined HRs (95% confidence interval [CI]) of RFA for recurrence/relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were 1.55 (95% CI = 1.29-1.86, I2 = 72.5%) and 1.61 (95% CI = 1.29-2.01, I2 = 60.4%), respectively, compared with surgical resection. In subgroup analyses according to study design, both RFS and OS of the prospective subgroups showed statistical significance, and no statistical heterogeneity existed between studies.ConclusionOur clinical data suggest that surgical resection offers better long-term oncologic outcomes than RFA.Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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