Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40590077›Full record

ArticleKorean journal of radiology2025

Microwave Ablation Versus Surgical Resection for Small (≤3 cm) Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Older Patients: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Kaige Chen, Yimin Ji, Gongzheng Wang, Wen Chen, Qiang Zhu, Ximing Wang, Cuihong Liu, Xinya Zhao

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Korean journal of radiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kaige Chen *Department of Ultrasound, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5680-3089
Yimin Ji *Department of Radiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9622-947X
Gongzheng WangDepartment of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7681-9368
Wen ChenDepartment of Ultrasound, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7225-7656
Qiang ZhuDepartment of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5843-9724
Ximing WangDepartment of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1213-1003
Cuihong LiuDepartment of Ultrasound, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China. 1395032209@qq.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3456-6610
Xinya ZhaoDepartment of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5856-347X

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82371916Taishan Scholar Foundation of Shandong Province tsqn202312352
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo compare the efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) and surgical resection (SR) for small (≤3 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in older patients. MATERIALS AND

methodsThis retrospective study initially enrolled 319 patients who were aged ≥65 years, had a single HCC ≤3 cm, and had Child-Pugh class A or B. Of these, 108 received MWA and 211 received SR. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), local tumor progression (LTP), complications, and postoperative hospital stay were compared between the groups. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using the SR group as reference. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize confounding biases.

resultsAfter PSM, 80 patients each were included in the MWA and SR groups. There were no statistically significant differences in the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates (MWA: 96.2%, 80.3%, and 55.4%, respectively; SR: 91.3%, 81.4%, and 64.8%, respectively; HR = 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-1.85;

conclusionIn older patients with a single HCC ≤3 cm, MWA was superior to SR in terms of complications and postoperative hospital stay, and there was no significant difference in the 5-year OS and DFS outcomes. Therefore, MWA may be an alternative curative treatment for such patients.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularHepatectomyLiver NeoplasmsMicrowavesAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansLength of StayMalePostoperative ComplicationsPropensity ScoreRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeElderlyHepatocellular carcinomaMicrowave ablationSurgical resection

Identifiers

PMID40590077
PMCPMC12235548

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.