ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma suitable for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) after radical resection who were screened based on microvascular invasion (MVI) and Ki-67 expression.Methods:Of 400 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent radical resection in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2013 to December 2019 were included and analyzed retrospectively, including 324 males and 76 females, aged (59.7±9.8) years, ranging from 32 to 87 years. According to whether they received adjuvant TACE treatment after operation, they were divided into simple operation group ( n=210) and TACE + operation group ( n=190). The recurrence in the first year after operation was followed up by outpatient reexamination. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to analyze the influencing factors of recurrence free survival after surgical resection. Subgroup analysis was performed according to Ki-67 and MVI to compare the recurrence free survival. Results:Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that patients with proportion of Ki-67 positive cells ≥27.5% ( HR=2.073, 95% CI: 1.433-3.000, P<0.001) and MVI positive ( HR=2.339, 95% CI: 1.584-3.456, P<0.001) had increased risk of recurrence after radical resection. The 1-year cumulative recurrence free survival rate in the simple operation group was 70.0%, and there was no significant difference compared with 67.9% in the operation + TACE group( χ 2=0.08, P=0.774). Subgroup analysis: in the low expression of Ki-67 combined with negative MVI group ( n=128), the cumulative recurrence free survival rate of one year after operation in the simple operation group ( n=84) was 91.7%, which was significantly higher than 72.7% in the operation + TACE group ( n=44)( χ 2=8.22, P=0.004). There was no significant difference in the 1-year cumulative recurrence free survival rate between the simple operation group and the operation + TACE group (both P>0.05) in patients of Ki-67 high expression combined with MVI negative or Ki-67 low expression combined with MVI positive. In the Ki-67 high expression combined with MVI positive group ( n=107), the cumulative one-year recurrence free survival rate in the simple operation group ( n=62) was 40.3%, which was significantly lower than 60.0% in the operation + TACE group ( n=45)(χ 2=4.22, P=0.040). Conclusion:High expression of Ki-67 (≥27.5%) combined with positive MVI are the prediction factors for postoperative TACE treatment. Low expression Ki-67 (<27.5%) combined with negative MVI was contraindicated for postoperative TACE treatment.