[Therapeutic clinical effect of radiofrequency ablation for small hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients: a meta-analysis].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the value of radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
MEDLINE (1966 - 2008), EMBASE (1966 - 2008), CBMdisc (1978 - 2008) were searched. The Cochrane Library, Evidence Base Medicine Reviews (Ovid Edition), Cancerlit (1993 - 2008) and so on, date of last search: 30 January 2008. There were no restrictions in language. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs were both included in this study, and the quality of each included study was assessed. Meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 4.2 software.


RESULTS
Four prospective controlled studies and two retrospective studies met the inclusion criteria. The results of meta-analysis showed that 1-, 3-, 4-year survival rates and 1-year tumor-free survival rate had not statistically significant difference in RFA group compared with surgical resection group (P > 0.05), but surgical resection was more effective to improve 3-year tumor-free survival rate than RFA (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The effect of RFA therapy on small HCC is similar to resection, RFA could be considered as the first-line treatment of choice for surgical candidates with small HCC in cirrhotic patients.
Chen
Ru-Fu
RF
Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of SUN Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
Xiao
Tiao-Hua
TH
Zhou
Quan-Bo
QB
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome