OBJECTIVE: We conducted the systematic review and meta-analysis to comprehensively compare ablation and surgery in terms of effectiveness, safety and multiple factors affecting life quality of patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCO were searched for relevant studies published between January 1980 and September 2023. Two reviewers independently extracted data according to the PRISMA recommendations and assessed the quality of each study with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Pooled analyses were performed using random or fixed-effects models, as appropriate. RESULTS: A total of 4829 patients with PTC from 19 eligible studies were included. Through the meta-analysis, similar tumor progression (OR: 1.07
95% CI 0.78, 1.48
CONCLUSION: As an effective, safe, minimally invasive and economical modality, thermal ablation might be a promising alternative to existing PTC management options.