Meta-analysis of radiofrequency ablation in combination with transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 3 Efficacy and major complications of radiofrequency ablation-transcatheter arterial chemoembolization vs radiofrequency ablation for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Variables	No. of studies furnishing data	Results		OR (95%CI)	P value	I2
		RFA-TACE	RFA
Efficacy overall survival rate
1 yr	8	89.20%	76.00%	2.96 (1.84- 7.47)	< 0.001	0.00%
2 yr	3	85.70%	73.40%	3.72 (1.24-11.16)	0.02	0.00%
3 yr	6	66.70%	45.70%	2.65 (1.81- 3.86)	< 0.001	13.10%
5 yr	2	37.50%	19.40%	2.78 (0.85-9.12)	0.09	79.30%
Recurrence-free survival rate
1 yr	5	67.60%	60.30%	1.59 (0.99-2.55)	0.05	3.50%
3 yr	3	46.60%	22.40%	3.00 (1.75-5.13)	< 0.001	0.00%
5 yr	2	50.90%	32.30%	2.26 (1.43-3.57)	0.0004	0.00%
Survival rate (TS ≤ 3 cm)
1 yr	2	98.90%	91.00%	8.42 (1.01- 70.56)	0.05	NA
3 yr	2	78.10%	71.90%	1.35 (0.67-2.74)	0.4	0.00%
Survival rate (3 cm < TS ≤ 5 cm)
1 yr	4	95.30%	84.60%	3.46 (1.29-9.28)	0.01	0.00%
3 yr	3	78.20%	53.90%	3.58 (1.79-7.15)	0.0003	28.60%
5 yr	2	49.30%	15.40%	5.34 (2.42-11.75)	< 0.001	0.00%
Survival rate (TS < 5 cm)
1 yr	4	75.90%	52.50%	2.91 (1.60-5.29)	0.0004	0.00%
3 yr	3	43.10%	10.30%	6.96 (3.01-16.07)	0.00001	0.00%
Tumor progression rate	6	31.60%	42.80%	0.60 (0.42-0.88)	0.008	34.80%
Major complications	3	3.70%	3.10%	1.20 (0.31-4.62)	0.79	0.00%

NA: Not applicable; TS: Tumor size; RFA: Radiofrequency ablation; TACE: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.