ReviewThyroid research2025
Assessment of thermal ablation for treating Bethesda IV thyroid nodules: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in Thyroid research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Thermal Ablation as a Non-Surgical Alternative for Thyroid Nodules: A Review of Current Evidence.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of thermal ablation in the treatment of patients with Bethesda IV thyroid nodules (follicular neoplasms) by analyzing large-scale data on various outcomes. MATERIALS AND
methodsLiterature searches were conducted in PUBMED, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for studies on the use of thermal ablation in patients with Bethesda IV thyroid nodules published from March 1, 2014, to March 1, 2024. Data on volume change at 12 months; the volume reduction rate (VRR) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months; the complete disappearance rate (CDR); and the complication rate were evaluated. All the data were analyzed with STATA 15.
resultsFive eligible studies were included. The findings indicate that thermal ablation is both effective and safe. The mean change in tumor volume at 12 months postthermal ablation was characterized by a standardized mean difference (SMD) of -1.13 (95% CI: -1.36 - -0.90, p = 0.000). Specifically, the mean changes in tumor volume at 12 months after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) were - 1.19 (95% CI: -1.75 - -0.64) and - 1.26 (95% CI: -1.71 - -0.81), respectively. The VRRs at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postthermal ablation were 43% (95% CI: 33 - 53%), 47% (95% CI: 20 - 74%), 69% (95% CI: 62 - 76%), and 85% (95% CI: 79 - 90%), respectively. The VRRs at 12 months after RFA and MWA were 84% (95% CI: 76 - 91%) and 85% (95% CI: 75 - 95%), respectively. The VRR at 12 months, stratified by initial nodule size, was 84% (95% CI: 77 - 91%) and 86% (95% CI: 78 - 94%). The CDR at the final follow-up was 88% (95% CI: 80 - 95%). The complication rate was 4.0% (95% CI: 0.0 - 8.0%), with pain and hoarseness being the most frequently reported complications; no life-threatening complications were documented.
conclusionsThermal ablation is a reliable treatment for Bethesda IV thyroid nodules, and RFA and MWA are advantageous treatment strategies. However, more prospective, multicenter, and large-sample studies are needed in the future.
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