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Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the common malignant tumors, and most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are already in the middle stage at the time of clinical detection, transarterial chemoembolization is the treatment of choice for mid-stage hepatocellular carcinoma.Due to the high degree of tumor heterogeneity, accurately predicting the outcome of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolization remains one of the difficulties in clinical practice.As an emerging technology, radiomics can not only reflect tumor heterogeneity non-invasively, but also monitor, evaluate and predict tumor progression by analyzing changes in the tumor microenvironment to guide patients′ personalized treatment and prolong their survival time.This article reviews the progress of the application of radiomics in predicting the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.
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In recent years, the rapid development of systematic therapy and local therapy, represented by targeted therapy, immunotherapy and vascular interventional therapy, has signifi-cantly improved the therapeutic effects of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and also greatly promoted the development of neoadjuvant therapy of HCC. The main purpose of neoadjuvant therapy is to decrease the size of tumor and the difficulty of surgery, and to reduce the postoperative recurrence rate. But meanwhile it also brings potential risks such as tumor progression and loss of surgical opportunity. At present, most experts recommend that patients with Ⅱb stage and Ⅲa stage HCC according to China Liver Cancer staging system are the preferred target population for neoadjuvant therapy. However, due to the lack of high-quality medical evidence, it is recommended to be cautiously carried out after multidisciplinary discussion. Moreover, it is suggested that neoadjuvant therapy with rapid onset of effect, less and mild side effects, high objective response rate and low probability of disease progression should be carried out. The author expects that neoadjuvant therapy can further improve the prognosis of HCC, and provide more options for clinical practice.
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Objective:To analyze the influencing factors of delayed nausea and vomiting in patients with primary liver cancer after transarterial chemoembolization based on Logistic regression model and decision tree model.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 236 patients with primary liver cancer after transarterial chemoembolization in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from March 2021 to June 2022 were conveniently selected as the research subjects. The factors related to delayed nausea and vomiting were collected, and Logistic regression and decision tree models were established, respectively, and the differences between the two models were compared.Results:The incidence of delayed nausea and vomiting of patients with primary liver cancer after transarterial chemoembolization was 45.34% (107/236). Logistic regression model showed that age, anxiety, sleep disorder, emetic risk level of chemotherapeutic drugs, embolic agent type, and pain 24 hours after surgery were the influencing factors of delayed nausea and vomiting in patients with primary liver cancer after transarterial chemoembolization(all P<0.05). Decision tree model showed that age, sleep disorder, emetic risk level of chemotherapeutic drugs, embolic agent type, and pain 24 hours after surgery were the influencing factors of delayed nausea and vomiting in patients with primary liver cancer after transarterial chemoembolization (all P<0.05). The classification accuracy rates of Logistic regression, decision tree model and combined diagnosis of two models were 72.9%, 71.2% and 72.0% respectively; the areas under the ROC curve were 0.778, 0.781 and 0.806 respectively, with no significant difference (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The analysis results of Logistic regression and decision tree model on the influencing factors of delayed nausea and vomiting in patients with primary liver cancer after transarterial chemoembolization are highly consistent, which can be combined to provide a more comprehensive reference for the evaluation and intervention of medical staff.
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Backg round: Transar terial chemoembolization (TACE) is the prefer red treatment for patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) without portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT). However, select patients with advanced HCC and with PVTT have shown improved survival with TACE. This study was undertaken to evaluate the outcome of TACE in patients with HCC beyond Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer- B (BCLC - B) and those with HCC and PVTT. Methods: Patients with unresectable HCC, subjected to TACE were included. HCC patients with PVTT involving main portal vein and, poor performance status were excluded from the study. Patients were stratified according to performance status, alpha feto protein (AFP) values, and up-to-seven criteria. Individually and using various combinations, the influence of these variables on survival was also estimated. Results: A total of 50 patients were included in the study. PVTT was present in 12 patients. Clinically, significant liver failure was observed in two patients. The average overall survival of patients beyond BCLC-B following TACE was 13 months. Survival was not influenced by tumor invasion into the portal vein. Patients with higher AFP levels had comparable survival provided their tumor load was satisfying up-to-seven criteria. Conclusion: We conclude that TACE could improve survival in selective HCC patients beyond BCLC-B and with PVTT not extending to the main portal vein
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Objective:To investigate the influence of effects of transarterial chemoembo-lization (TACE) before liver transplantation on the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 311 hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing TACE before liver transplantation who were admitted to the Third Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2005 to December 2012 were collec-ted. There were 276 males and 35 females, aged from 47 to 59 years, with a median age of 52 years. All the 311 patients underwent TACE before liver transplantation. Observation indicators: (1) effects of hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing TACE and its relationship with clinicopathological factors; (2) follow-up; (3) influencing factors for prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after liver transplantation. Follow-up was conducted using outpatient examination or telephone interview to detect recurrence and metastasis of tumor and survival and graft loss of patients up to December 2017. The patients were followed up every 2 to 4 weeks within 3 months after liver transplantation, and once every 1 to 3 months thereafter. Measurement data with normal distri-bution were represented as Mean± SD, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range) or M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data was analyzed using the nonparametric rank sum test. The COX regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw survival curves and calculate survival rates, and the Log-rank test was used for survival analysis. Results:(1) Effects of hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing TACE and its relationship with clinicopathological factors. Of the 311 patients undergoing TACE, 57 cases had pathologic complete response (pCR) and 254 cases had pathologic partial response (pPR), respectively. Cases with alpha fetoprotein (AFP) <20 μg/L,20?400 μg/L, >400 μg/L, cases with microvascular invasion, cases with tumor number as single nodule, cases with tumor distribution at right lobe of liver, cases with tumor caliber of feeding artery (CFA) >1 mm were 26, 26, 5, 51, 6, 43, 46 in patients with pCR, versus 87, 64, 103, 158, 59, 125, 159 in patients with pPR, showing significant differences in the above indicators ( Z=3.35, χ2=4.54, 15.71, 12.89, 6.79, P<0.05). (2) Follow-up. All the 311 patients were followed up for 47.0 to 59.0 months, with a median follow-up time of 44.6 months. There were 11 cases undergoing tumor recurrence and 11 cases undergoing tumor metastasis in the 57 patients with pCR, and there were 96 cases undergoing tumor recurrence and 66 cases under-going tumor metastasis in the 254 patients with pPR. The 1-, 3-, 5-year tumor recurrence free rates were 98.2%, 91.1%, 80.3% in the 311 patients, respectively. The 1-, 3-, 5-year tumor recurrence free rates were 100.0%, 91.1%, 80.3% in the 57 patients with pCR, versus 82.0%, 68.4%, 59.4% in the 254 patients with pPR, showing significant differences in the above indicators ( χ2=13.47, P<0.05). Cases with graft loss were 11 and 96 in the 57 patients with pCR and the 254 patients with pPR, respectively, showing a significant difference ( χ2=7.06, P<0.05). (3) Influen-cing factors for prognosis of hepatocellular carci-noma patients after liver transplantation. Results of univariate analysis showed that gender, basic diseases as viral hepatitis C, AFP (20?400 μg/L, >400 μg/L), Milan criteria, microvascular invasion, tumor number, tumor distribution, tumor CFA, times of TACE, effects of TACE were related factors influencing prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after liver transplantation ( hazard ratio=0.49, 3.97, 1.78, 1.84, 2.41, 1.96, 3.00, 1.76, 0.19, 2.01, 3.07, 95% confidence interval as 0.30?0.81, 2.23?7.05, 1.03?3.06, 1.18?2.85, 1.63?3.56, 1.28?3.01, 2.04?4.40, 1.20?2.59, 0.13?0.28, 1.28?3.14, 1.63?5.76, P<0.05). Results of multi-variate analysis showed that AFP >400 μg/L, exceeding Milan criteria, tumor number as multiple nodule,effects of TACE as pPR were independent risk factors influencing prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after liver transplantation ( hazard ratio=1.59, 2.06, 1.99, 2.05, 95% confidence interval as 1.22?2.07, 1.35?3.13, 1.29?3.07, 1.02?4.10, P<0.05) and tumor CFA >1 mm was an independent protective factor influencing prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after liver transplantation ( hazard ratio=0.10, 95% confidence interval as 0.05?0.19, P<0.05). Conclusions:The effects of TACE are related to AFP, microvascular invasion, tumor number, tumor distribution and tumor CFA. AFP >400 μg/L, exceeding Milan criteria, tumor number as multiple nodule,effects of TACE as pPR are independent risk factors influencing prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after liver transplantation and tumor CFA >1 mm is an independent protective factor influencing prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after liver transplantation.
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Primary liver cancer is the fourth most common malignancy and the second most common cause of cancer death in China, which poses a serious threat to the life and health of the Chinese people. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents more than 90% of the pathology of primary liver cancer, among them around 60% of patients are at the intermediate-advanced stage when diagnosed. Therefore, increasing the rate of resection via conversion therapies is particularly important to improve the prognosis of these patients. Vascular interventional therapies represented by transarterial chemoembolization and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy are important treatment methods for HCC patients in intermediate-advanced stage, showing good rates of tumor response and surgical conversion. Combined with research data at home and abroad, the authors analyze research progress of vascular interventional therapy in the conversion therapy of HCC, review the history and the strategies of conversion therapies based on vascular interventional therapy in this article.
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Advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC) is one of the most common hepatic malignant tumors besides hepatocellular carcinoma, with occult onset, limited treatment and poor prognosis. Systemic treatment is a recommendable solution for advanced unresectable ICC. The authors reported the clinical experience of an ICC patient who underwent transarterial chemoembolization combined with immunotherapy plus target therapy.
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Context: Macroscopic vascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains challenging to treat. Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)–apatinib therapy with TACE treatment alone in HCC patients with macrovascular invasion, using propensity score matching (PSM). Settings and Design: Matched paired comparison between the TACE–apatinib and TACE alone group using 1:2 PSM was utilized. Subjects and Methods: Between 2013 and 2019, 378 patients receiving TACE–apatinib or TACE alone were included based on specific selection criteria. Statistical Analysis Used: Multivariate Cox regression models were used to determine the independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Results: Of the patients included, 40 (12.5%) received TACE–apatinib treatment and 280 (87.5%) received TACE alone. Tumor sizes of patients in the TACE–apatinib group were more frequently classified as small (<5 cm) compared to those in the TACE alone group (P = 0.021; mean: 8.6 cm vs. 10.2 cm). After 1:2 PSM, 40 pairs of HCC patients with well-matched covariates were selected from the two treatment groups. Patients in the TACE–apatinib group had higher OS rates than patients in the TACE alone group (P = 0.018). The median OS times were 18.2 and 8.5 months in the TACE–apatinib and TACE alone groups, respectively. The OS hazard ratio for the choice of TACE–apatinib treatment compared to TACE treatment alone was 0.50 (95% confidence interval: 0.28–0.90; P = 0.021). Conclusions: TACE combined with apatinib may result in superior OS compared to TACE therapy alone for HCC patients with macrovascular invasion
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Purpose: We aimed to compare the outcomes of microwave ablation (MWA) alone with those of transarterial chemoembolization combined with MWA (TACE-MWA) for Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) Stage B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to identify the prognostic factors associated with the two treatments. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in 150 BCLC Stage B HCC patients from April 2006 to November 2017. Of these, 88 patients were treated with MWA alone while 62 with TACE-MWA. Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to adjust for imbalances in clinical parameters. Procedure-related complications, local tumor progression (LTP), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Results: Before PSM, the maximal tumor diameters were 6.0 ± 1.0 cm and 6.7 ± 1.3 cm in the TACE-MWA and MWA groups, respectively, with a significant difference (P = 0.002); a significant difference was also detected in α-fetoprotein level (P = 0.013). After PSM, no difference was found in the two parameters (P = 0.067, 0.470). Before and after PSM, no difference was detected in the procedure-related complications (P = 0.803 vs. 1.000, P = 1.000 vs. 1.000), RFS (P = 0.786 vs. 0.689), and OS (P = 0.684 vs. 0.929). Tumor size and α-fetoprotein level were independent influencing factors for OS before and after PSM (P = 0.009, 0.023), while tumor size (D > 7) was an independent risk factor for poor OS (P = 0.011). Tumor number was an independent risk factor for RFS before and after PSM (P = 0.007 vs. P = 0.008). A significant difference was detected in LTP between the two groups with single tumor before and after PSM (P = 0.059 vs. P = 0.006). Conclusions: The MWA alone group had RFS and OS comparable to that of the TACE-MWA group. TACE-MWA was effective in controlling LTP in patients with a single tumor
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Objective: This study aimed to classify hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) according to their diameter using statistic technology and evaluate the prognosis of the classified groups after the combined use of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Materials and Methods: Electronic medical records of 128 consecutive patients who underwent TACE-RFA as the initial treatment for HCC from January 2010 to April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. TACE was initially performed with subsequent RFA performed after 3–7 days. The decision tree model was used to classify overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local recurrence rate (LRR), and treatment complications in HCC. Results: The tumors were divided into three groups of sizes ≤2.9 cm, 2.9–4.8 cm, and >4.8 cm. The group of tumors >4.8 cm showed inferior OS, PFS, and LRR than the other two groups (P < 0.05) on long-term follow-up but not in thefirst 6 months (P > 0.05). The groups of tumors ≤2.9 cm and 2.9–4.8 cm showed no statistically significant difference in OS, PFS, and LRR (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The cutoff points of 2.9 and 4.8 cm were achieved using the objective decision tree model rather than the artificial division of 3 and 5 cm. The prognosis was not significantly different between the groups of tumors ≤2.9 cm and 2.9–4.8 cm, and the prognosis of the two groups was better than the group of tumors >4.8 cm in the long-term follow-up but not in thefirst 6 months
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. Currently, the main effective treatment options for HCC include resection, liver transplantation, various percutaneous modalities (such as transarterial chemoembolization [TACE] and thermal ablation), and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Herein, we have proposed a novel therapy which consists of TACE, ablation, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and immunotherapy (TATI) for patients with advanced HCC). We reported the therapeutic effects of TATI in four patients with advanced HCC. All patients underwent TACE treatment at the beginning of disease diagnosis. During follow-up, all patients were treated with microwave ablation because of a residual tumor or recurrence. For tumor control, apatinib, a TKI, was administered after ablation. If the tumor was resistant to the TKI, we continued to apatinib therapy in combination with immunotherapy (camrelizumab). All the four patients had better survival benefits and no serious adverse effects
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Aims: The aim of the study was to determine whether the time to progression (TTP) or time to untreatable progression (TTUP) is an appropriate surrogate endpoint for overall survival (OS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Materials and Methods: Eighty-four patients with Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage B or C HCC underwent TACE. The correlations of TTP and TTUP with OS were evaluated after a log transformation of the indicated values. After identifying independent prognostic factors of TTP, TTUP, and OS, the partial correlations of TTP and TTUP with OS were analyzed in all patients and subgroups. Subsequently, the prognostic value of TTP and TTUP was compared by the multivariate survival analysis of OS. Results: Both the BCLC stage and tumor number were correlated with TTP and TTUP. In addition, the BCLC stage, initial treatment failure, and sorafenib administration were associated with OS. In all patients, the correlation coefficients of TTP and TTUP with OS were 0.559 and 0.789, respectively. Adjustment for independent prognostic factors yielded partial correlation coefficients which were 0.433 and 0.697, respectively. Furthermore, OS was found to be associated with TTUP (P = 0.003; hazard ratio: 0.253; 95% confidence interval: 0.10–0.63) but not with TTP. Conclusion: Untreatable progression is more representative of clinical progression in patients with HCC who underwent TACE. In the current study, TTUP is a more appropriate surrogate endpoint for OS than TTP. Future studies should explore whether untreatable progression is a valuable endpoint event in clinical trials or an indicator of the need for second-line therapy
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Context and Aims: Apatinib combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has shown promising results in cases of Barcelona clinic liver cancer Stage C (BCLC C) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of TACE in combination with microwave ablation (MWA) and apatinib. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, single.center study was undertaken using a one.to.one propensity score matching (PSM) analysis design and involved BCLC C HCC patients who underwent treatment with TACE.MWA.apatinib or TACE alone between January 2013 and June 2018. The patients were recommended to administer 500mg apatinib per day, combined with MWA and TACE. The adverse effects of apatinib, MWA. and TACE.related complications, progression.free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed. Results: Of the 149 patients with BCLC C HCC who underwent TACE.MWA.apatinib or TACE alone, 131 were included in our study. Among them, 21 (16.0%) received TACE.MWA.apatinib and 110 (84.0%) underwent TACE alone. After PSM, twenty pairs were enrolled into different treatment groups. Patients in the TACE.MWA.apatinib group had a significantly longer median PFS than patients in the TACE.alone group on both before (median, 8.9 vs. 1.7 months, P = 0.0002) and after PSM (median, 5.4 vs. 2.1 months, P = 0.001). They also had a significantly longer median OS than patients in the TACE.alone group on before (median, 24.4 vs. 5.8 months, P = 0.000007) and after PSM (median, 24.4 vs. 5.4 months, P = 0.00005). Conclusions: The combination of apatinib, TACE, and MWA in BCLC C HCC patients is safe and effective. Toxicity is manageable by adjusting the apatinib dosage
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Objective: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the standard treatment for unresectable intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma. Drug-eluting beads (DEB)-TACE is a promising approach expected to improve the efficiency and safety of conventional (c) TACE. However, controversy remains whether DEB-TACE performs better than cTACE. This meta-analysis aimed to compare cTACE and DEB-TACE in terms of overall survival (OS), adverse events, and response rate. Literature search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Web of Science. Complete response (CR), partial response (PR), disease control (DC), stable disease (SD), OS, and major complications were compared between these two modalities. The pooled relative risk and 95% confidence interval were calculated for assessment. Six randomized controlled trials were included for further analysis after a comprehensive search. No significant difference was found in overall response at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, CR, PR, DC (SD), OS and complications between cTACE and DEB-TACE. Conclusion: DEB-TACE had similar therapeutic effects to those of cTACE. Furthermore, major complications in both therapies were similar. The superiority of DEB-TACE over cTACE remains unclear, and further research with high-quality evidence is needed
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Objective: This study determined whether the effect of combination therapy for hepatic carcinoma (HCC) is comparable to surgical resection (SR). According to the guidelines of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and SR are recommended for early HCC. However, patients treated with RFA had worse long-term survival than those who received SR. Many studies utilizing the combination therapy with RFA and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) have reported better prognosis as compared to RFA alone. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search in databases was conducted. Six retrospective studies and one cohort were enrolled in this meta-analysis. The overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and major complications were compared between RFA plus TACE and SR. The pooled hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated and analyzed. Results: After comparison, no significant difference in the OS and DFS at 1 and 3 years between the combination therapy and SR was observed (OS1: pooled relative risk [RR]: 0.82, 95% CI [0.56, 1.21]; OS3: pooled RR: 1.07, 95% CI [0.82, 1.39]; DFS1: pooled RR: 0.92, 95% CI [0.58, 1.45]; DFS3: pooled RR: 1.18, 95% CI [1.00, 1.40]). SR had better clinical outcomes than combination therapy with respect to long-term survival and disease progression (OS5: pooled RR: 1.12, 95% CI [1.03, 1.23]; DFS5: pooled RR: 1.15, 95% CI [1.03, 1.28]). Major complications were reduced with combination therapy (pooled RR: 0.46, 95% CI [0.25, 0.85]). Conclusion: SR should remain as the first-line therapy for early HCC
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Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombus extending to the inferior vena cava (IVC) and right atrium (RA) is rare, which is generally associated with serial syndromes and poor prognosis. The results of earlier observations revealed that the median survival was 1–5 months after diagnosis for untreated patients. The prognosis was poor with surgery, radiotherapy, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), and chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 1850 patients received TACE for advanced HCC at our institution from October 2011 to September 2016. Among them, 18 cases presented tumor thrombus extended from hepatic vein to IVC and RA. TACE was performed to deal with the tumor thrombus inside the RA, and angiography was performed for characterizing. The successful rate, survival, safety, and clinical adverse events were retrospectively studied. Results: A total of 56 interventional procedures were conducted for the 18 cases of tumor thrombus extending to IVC and RA. TACE were successfully performed in all patients without significant complications. One case died of pneumonia, and no severe adverse effect was observed in the other 17 cases. The 1- and 3-year overall survival rates were 50% and 16.7%, respectively. The average survival from diagnosis of right atrial tumor thrombus (RATT) was 15.2 months. The blood supply was rich for all RATT. There were seven cases with single-feeding artery and 11 cases with two or three feeding arteries that originated from intra- or extra-hepatic arteries. The extrahepatic artery played a critical role in the blood supply of RATT, including right inferior phrenic artery (8/18), left inferior phrenic artery (1/18), and the left gastric artery (2/18). Conclusion: For HCC with tumor thrombus in the IVC and RA, TACE could safely improve the prognosis of these patients. Searching for multiple feeding arteries are essential for ensuring efficacy. In addition, careful examination and appropriate embolization technique are essential for safety and efficacy. Lipiodol was a safe and ideal agent for the embolization in RATT
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The treatment modality of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) includes surgical resection, liver transplantation, ablation, interventional therapy, targeted therapy,and systemic chemotherapy. However,the complexity of disease condition often leads to unsatisfying outcome by single treatment, making multidisciplinary treatment an inevitable choice. Commonly used combined therapies are transarterial chemoembolization(TACE) combined with surgical resection,TACE combined with local ablation,and TACE combined with systemic treatment. In clinical practice,the goal of comprehensive treatment is prolonged survival and improved quality of life. Choosing different combination of therapies according to different liver function,general condition and recurrence of tumors can significantly improve the patients' survival.
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Objective To explore the efficacy, safety and prognostic factors of drug-eluting bead-transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) in treatment of the patients with early and middle stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Twenty-six early and middle stage HCC patients receiving DEB-TACE treatment were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (mRECIST) was used to evaluate the efficacy of DEB-TACE treatment. The deadline for follow-up was Dec. 20, 2017, and the progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression model and Cox proportional regression model were used to analyze the factors affecting the efficacy and prognosis. Results A total of 32 DEB-TACE treatment were performed in 26 patients. Treatment-related adverse events were recorded in 31 DEB-TACE treatments. Perioperative pain frequency was 15 times (48.4%), including mild pain 10 times (32.3%) and moderate pain 5 times (16.1%); and fever frequency was 10 times (32.3%) and gastrointestinal reaction was 5 times (16.1%). Within 3 months of DEB-TACE treatment, the overall response rate (ORR) was 65.4% (17/26), and disease control rate (DCR) was 84.6% (22/26). Compared with the patients with maximum diameter of tumors=50 mm, the patients with maximum diameter of tumors<50 mm had a significantly higher ORR (92.3% [12/13] vs 38.5% [5/13], P=0.013). Compared with the patients with Barcelona stage B, the patients with Barcelona stage A had a significantly higher ORR (81.3% [13/16] vs 40.0% [4/10], P=0.031). The follow-up ranged from 2.9 to 20.0 months (median 7.2 months), median PFS was 11.9 months (95% CI 5.0-18.9 months), and median OS was 14.6 months (95% CI 9.9-19.2 months). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that tumor maximum diameter=50 mm was an independent predictor of poor ORR (P=0.036). Cox proportional regression model analysis showed that no clinicopathological characteristics were independent predictors of PFS or OS. Conclusion DEB-TACE treatment is an effective and safe method for early and middle stage HCC patients, and maximum diameter of tumor=50 mm can be used as an independent prognostic biomarker.
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BACKGROUND/AIMS: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is potentially nephrotoxic in chronic hepatitis B patients. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated using transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) are at an increased risk of renal injury. The aim of this study was to determine whether TDF is associated with more renal adverse events than entecavir (ETV) in HCC patients treated with TACE. METHODS: In this retrospective single-center study, we selected 53 HCC patients who were treated with TDF from January 2012 to July 2013 and had their first TACE procedure in the same period. These patients were matched by age and sex to patients treated with ETV. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics, including HCC factors, and nephrotoxic drug use, between the two groups. The median follow-up period was 17.0 and 20.0 months for the TDF and ETV groups, respectively. There was no difference during the follow-up period between the TDF and ETV groups in the increase in creatinine over 0.5 mg/dL (17.0% and 17.0%, P=1.00, respectively) and the decrease in eGFR over 25% (43.4% and 41.5%, P=0.84, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that Child-Pugh class over B (hazard ratio [HR], 7.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.79–19.10; P<0.01) was associated with increase in creatinine, and Child-Pugh class over B (HR, 82.74; 95% CI 12.31–555.83; P<0.01) and Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer stage over B (HR, 14.93; 95% CI 1.60–139.51; P=0.02) were associated with decrease in eGFR. CONCLUSIONS: TDF has comparable safety to that of ETV for HCC patients undergoing TACE.
Subject(s)
Humans , Antiviral Agents , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Creatinine , Follow-Up Studies , Hepatitis B, Chronic , Kidney Diseases , Liver Neoplasms , Multivariate Analysis , Retrospective Studies , TenofovirABSTRACT
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor originating from liver cells. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the main cause of HCC in 80% of Chinese patients. Pathologically, HCC is usually a kind of tumor with rich blood supply. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) can block the blood supply of the tumor, besides, high concentration of chemotherapeutic drugs can be accumulated within the tumor, and therefore TACE can kill tumor cells to the maximum extent. TACE has been recognized as one of the most commonly used non-surgical treatments for HCC. In view of this, after in-depth discussion the expertsfrom Chinese College of Interventionalists, Chinese Medical Doctor Association, put forward,《Chinese clinical practice guidelines for transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma》. This《Guidelines》contains the following contents about TACE: brief introduction of HCC, indications and contraindications, perioperative treatment, euipment and drug preparation, ethical and informed consent, preparation of the patients, procedure,complications and management, evaluation and follow-up, and comprehensive therapy.