Efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein thrombosis: A meta‑analysis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with coexisting portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is associated with poor patient outcomes. The efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with HCC with PVTT remain a subject of debate. In the present study, a comprehensive search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and the Cochrane Library, was conducted to identify studies evaluating the outcomes of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with HCC and PVTT. The primary outcomes assessed were overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS), with complication rates as a secondary outcome. A total of six studies comprising 750 patients were included in the present meta-analysis. The neoadjuvant therapy group exhibited significantly superior OS [hazard ratio (HR), 0.39; P