MTA alone 1 Level III-2 study Median OS: 17.7 months ⨁⨀⨀⨀ VERY LOW 1,5 (range of 5–45) and from the Assessed with: Median and time of MTA until death it was range 10.6 months (range: F/U: median 17.7 months <CI = confidence interval; F/U = follow-up; MTA = microwave tissue ablation; n/N (%) = number with event/ total (percentage) > GRADE Working Group grades of evidence (Guyatt et al., 2013). Very low quality: We have very little confidence in the effect estimate: The true effect is likely to be substantially different from ⨁⨀⨀⨀ the estimate of effect This is based on the results of one study with 22patients in one arm and 18 in the other, study reporting quality was low. Measures of variance are not available. The small sample size reduces the reliability of the outcomes Wei et al (2015) reports on small sample sizes and inherent drawbacks in study design are problematic Measures of variance show wide confidence intervals associated with OS. The small sample size reduces the reliability of the outcomes. Due to inherent limitations in case series evidence Table Balance of clinical harms associated with MTA relative to its comparators, and as measured by the patient-relevant outcomes in the key studies Outcome and № of patients Summary Quality of the intervention/comparator (studies) evidence (GRADE) Procedure-related mortality MTA N = 916 2/916 (0.22%)1 ⨁⨀⨀⨀ F/U: range 6–30 months VERY LOW 1 Level III-2 studies 19 Level IV studies RFA N = 1259 1/1259 (<0.1%) ⨁⨀⨀⨀ VERY LOW F/U: range 10–46 months 1 Level III-3 study 16 Level IV studies Radiotherapy N = NA 2 cases of procedure-related mortality ⨁⨀⨀⨀ across all included 17 studies.2 VERY LOW3 F/U: range 13–82 months 2 Level II studies 2 Level III-2 studies 13 Level IV studies Surgery N = NA Pfannschmidt et al (2007): 4/20 studies ⨁⨀⨀⨀ reported mortality, range 0–3% of VERY LOW F/U: NA 1 Level I study patients 2 Level IV studies Renaud et al (2014) and Kitano et al (2012): 0/365 (0%)
MTA alone Assessed with: Median and range F/U: median 17.7 months 1 Level III-2 study ⨁⨀⨀⨀ VERY LOW 1,5 Median OS: 17.7 months (range of 5–45) and from the time of MTA until death it was 10.6 months (range: <CI = confidence interval; F/U = follow-up; MTA = microwave tissue ablation; n/N (%) = number with event/ total (percentage) > GRADE Working Group grades of evidence (Guyatt et al., 2013). ⨁⨀⨀⨀ Very low quality: We have very little confidence in the effect estimate: The true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect This is based on the results of one study with 22patients in one arm and 18 in the other, study reporting quality was low. Measures of variance are not available. The small sample size reduces the reliability of the outcomes Wei et al (2015) reports on small sample sizes and inherent drawbacks in study design are problematic Measures of variance show wide confidence intervals associated with OS. The small sample size reduces the reliability of the outcomes. Due to inherent limitations in case series evidence Table Balance of clinical harms associated with MTA relative to its comparators, and as measured by the patient-relevant outcomes in the key studies Outcome and intervention/comparator № of patients (studies) Summary Quality of the evidence (GRADE) Procedure-related mortality MTA F/U: range 6–30 months N = 916 1 Level III-2 studies 19 Level IV studies 2/916 (0.22%)1 ⨁⨀⨀⨀ VERY LOW RFA F/U: range 10–46 months N = 1259 1 Level III-3 study 16 Level IV studies 1/1259 (<0.1%) ⨁⨀⨀⨀ VERY LOW Radiotherapy F/U: range 13–82 months N = NA 2 Level II studies 2 Level III-2 studies 13 Level IV studies 2 cases of procedure-related mortality across all included 17 studies.2 ⨁⨀⨀⨀ VERY LOW3 Surgery F/U: NA N = NA 1 Level I study 2 Level IV studies Pfannschmidt et al (2007): 4/20 studies reported mortality, range 0–3% of patients Renaud et al (2014) and Kitano et al (2012): 0/365 (0%) ⨁⨀⨀⨀ VERY LOW