A Comparison of Ablation Therapy and Partial Nephrectomy for the Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION: Ablation therapy (AT) and partial nephrectomy (PN) are primary treatment options for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of AT and PN in treating RCC. METHODS: This study was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was conducted for studies published up to February 1, 2025. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata16 software. RESULTS: A total of 32 studies involving 6,030 patients were included. The analysis demonstrated that AT was associated with significantly shorter operative time (OT), less estimated blood loss (EBL), a shorter length of hospital stay (LOS), and a lower overall complication rate (CR) compared to PN. Compared with AT, PN has more advantages in overall survival and recurrence-free survival. There were no statistically significant differences between the two interventions in cancer-specific survival. CONCLUSION: For selected patients with RCC, AT represents a minimally invasive alternative that offers advantages over PN in perioperative outcomes, including reduced OT, EBL, LOS, and CR, while preserving renal function. However, no significant differences were found in long-term oncological survival outcomes.