A Meta-Analysis of Clinical Outcomes After Radiofrequency Ablation and Microwave Ablation for Lung Cancer and Pulmonary Metastases

Purpose: We conducted a meta-analysis assessing clinical outcomes of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA) for treating lung cancer.

Methods: Databases were searched up to 2017 to identify high-quality studies. The results were presented as pooled estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: Fifty-three studies were included, and up to 3,432 patients were pooled. The estimated 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were higher for RFA-treated patients compared with those treated by MWA. The median OS, median progression-free survival (PFS), median local tumor PFS, complete ablation rate, and adverse events did not differ significantly. Subgroup analyses by tumor type showed that the median OS for RFA-treated patients with pulmonary metastases was higher than that of the MWA-treated patients.

Conclusion: Thermal ablation, both RFA and MWA, is an effective approach for treating lung cancer with low risk of adverse events. RFA is associated with longer survival than MWA, and patients with pulmonary metastases showed better survival after RFA compared with MWA-treated patients.