摘要

Background and aims: Hepatic resection (HRN) and microwave ablation (MWA) have significant advantages in treating hepatocellular carcinoma; however, it remains unclear which way produces better outcomes. This meta-analysis of cohort studies compared the treatments in terms of effectiveness and safety. @@@ Methods: Six electronic databases (PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, EBSCO, and The Cochrane Library) were retrieved for studies comparing MWA and HRN. The metaanalysis was conducted based on statement of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. @@@ Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, with a total of 1,480 patients. The overall metaanalysis demonstrated no significant difference in overall survival between the MWA group and the HRN group (HR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.76-1.26, P= 0.878). There was no difference in diseasefree survival between the MWA group and the HRN group (HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.79-1.71, P= 0.442). Meanwhile, the meta-analysis demonstrated that MWA was associated with shorter operation time (standardized mean difference [SMD] =-1.37, 95% CI =-1.92 to -0.81, P= 0.000), less amount of blood loss in operation (SWD =-1.19, 95% CI =-1.76 to -0.61, P= 0.000), and less complications (OR = 0.22, 95% CI = 0.12-0.40, P= 0.000) than HRN. @@@ Conclusion: In conclusion, our meta-analysis suggests that MWA may be superior to HRN as it is as effective as HRN in terms of overall survival, disease-free survival, tumor recurrence, and is associated with shorter operation time, less amount of blood loss, and fewer complications.