Radiofrequency ablation plus chemoembolization versus radiofrequency ablation alone for hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

SummaryBackgroundTo determine whether the use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is more effective than the use of RFA alone for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsA computer-based search was performed. Randomised trials comparing RFA plus TACE and RFA alone for treatment of HCC were included in this meta-analysis. The outcome of interest for our analysis was survival (recurrence-free survival and overall survival).ResultsEight trials with 648 patients were eligible for this meta-analysis. Our pooled results suggest that RFA plus TACE is associated with a significant advantage in recurrence-free survival (RFS) (HR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.42–0.80, P = 0.001), and overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.47–0.76, P < 0.001).ConclusionTACE combined with RFA was more effective than RFA alone, especially for treatment for intermediate and large-size hepatic tumours or younger patients with HCC.