PURPOSE: To conduct a meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of two types of iodine-125 (I-125) seed delivery with metal stents (the study group) versus conventional metal stents (the control group) in patients with malignant biliary obstruction (MBO). METHODS: Our team systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant studies published from January 2012 up to July 2021. Survival time and stent dysfunction were the primary measured outcomes. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to the type of I-125 seed delivery. RESULTS: > 0.05). The study group was significantly superior to the control group, with better survival and decreased stent dysfunction. Meanwhile, the delivery of I-125 seeds did not increase adverse events. CONCLUSION: The delivery of I-125 with metal stents may be considered a preferable technique for MBO.
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Fu et al. (2023) studied this question.