Sivesh K Kamarajah1, James R Bundred2, Peter Littler3, Helen Reeves4, Derek M Manas5, Steven A White6. 1. Department of HPB and Transplant Surgery, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK; Institute of Cellular Medicine, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK; Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK. Electronic address: siveshkk93@gmail.com. 2. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Research and Innovation Department, Leeds, UK. 3. Department of Interventional Radiology, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. 4. Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Hepatopancreatobiliary Multidisciplinary Team, Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. 5. Department of HPB and Transplant Surgery, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK. 6. Department of HPB and Transplant Surgery, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK; Institute of Cellular Medicine, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Several treatment strategies for early stage hepatocellular cancers (HCC) have been evaluated in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to explore the relative effectiveness of these different approaches on their impact on overall (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify RCT's reported up to 23rd January 2020. Indirect comparisons of all regimens were simultaneously compared using random-effects NMA. RESULTS: Twenty-eight RCT's, involving 3,618 patients, reporting 13 different treatment strategies for early stage HCC were identified. Median follow-up, reported in 22 studies, ranged from 12-93 months. In this NMA, RFA in combination with iodine-125 was ranked first for both RFS (HR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.19-1.31) and OS (HR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19-0.94). In subgroup with solitary HCC, lack of studies reporting RFS precluded reliable analysis. However, RFA in combination with iodine-125 was associated with markedly better OS (HR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.05-0.93). CONCLUSION: This NMA identified RFA in combination with iodine-125 as a treatment delivering better RFS and OS, in patients with early stage HCC, especially for those with solitary HCC. This technique warrants further evaluation in both Asia and Western regions.
BACKGROUND: Several treatment strategies for early stage hepatocellular cancers (HCC) have been evaluated in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to explore the relative effectiveness of these different approaches on their impact on overall (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify RCT's reported up to 23rd January 2020. Indirect comparisons of all regimens were simultaneously compared using random-effects NMA. RESULTS: Twenty-eight RCT's, involving 3,618 patients, reporting 13 different treatment strategies for early stage HCC were identified. Median follow-up, reported in 22 studies, ranged from 12-93 months. In this NMA, RFA in combination with iodine-125 was ranked first for both RFS (HR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.19-1.31) and OS (HR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.19-0.94). In subgroup with solitary HCC, lack of studies reporting RFS precluded reliable analysis. However, RFA in combination with iodine-125 was associated with markedly better OS (HR: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.05-0.93). CONCLUSION: This NMA identified RFA in combination with iodine-125 as a treatment delivering better RFS and OS, in patients with early stage HCC, especially for those with solitary HCC. This technique warrants further evaluation in both Asia and Western regions.