P-23 Microwave ablation versus radiofrequency ablation in BCLC-A hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

While percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is considered the standard local ablative modality for the treatment of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) is being increasingly used in recent years and, although several authors compared the two ablative modalities, it remains unclear which technique results in better clinical outcomes. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare percutaneous MWA versus percutaneous RFA in BCLC-A HCC in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), especially focusing on five outcomes of interest in this specific patient subpopulation.