Clinical guidelines for early hepatocellular carcinoma treatment options: a systematic review and bibliometric analysis

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with treatment options including radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and surgical resection. This study evaluates the evolving guidelines for these treatments to identify the current consensus and divergences. Method: We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA 2020 guidelines of documents from 2017–2024 by major liver societies. The AGREE-II framework assessed guideline quality. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRDXXXX). Results: We analyzed 23 guidelines and noted significant shifts in treatment recommendations over recent updates. This analysis reveals an increasing endorsement of RFA for certain patient groups and sustained strong support for surgical resection based on robust evidence levels. All demonstrated high quality, with the 2023 Japan Guidelines receiving the highest AGREE-II score. A significant finding was the low level of stakeholder involvement in the development of guidelines. Conclusion: The study highlights the dynamic nature of clinical guidelines for early-stage HCC, underscoring the need for ongoing updates and direct, high-quality comparative studies. The evolving recommendations for RFA, especially its role in managing small, localized tumors, reflect its emerging importance in the treatment paradigm.