High-risk factors affecting survival after transcatheter therapy with doxorubicin-eluting beads for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

e15614 Background: Transcatheter therapy with drug eluting beads (DEB) with Doxorubicin is a relatively new modality of palliative treatment of patients with unresectable HCC. It is important to identify prognostic factors which affect survival after treatment with DEB to enable optimal patient selection and to ensure maximal survival benefit. Methods: Fifty consecutive patients with unresectable HCC who were treated with transcatheter therapy with DEB between the period of 2005 and 2008 were studied. Kaplan Meier test was used to study survival. Categorical variables were compared with Log rank test and continuous variable with Cox proportional hazards method. Results: The survival rates at one year from first transcatheter therapy in patients belonging to Okuda stage I, II and III were 67%, 35% and 27% (p=0.043). The survival rates at one year from the first transcatheter therapy in Child Pugh Class A, B and C were 60%, 39% and 13% (p=0.003). Portal vein thrombosis was present in 24%(12/50). Median survivals in patients with and without portal vein thrombosis were 335 days(31–638) and 610 days(482–738)(p=0.285). The median survival in patients with tumor thrombus and bland thrombus were 169 days and 335 days(p=0.69). The median survival in patients with main portal vein thrombosis and branch portal vein thromboses were 316 days(135–497) and 550 days(202–897)(p=0.89).Pre- procedure albumin, bilirubin and MELD score were found to be prognostic factors on univariate analysis ( Table 1 ).On multivariate analysis, pre-procedure serum albumin and Okuda staging were found to be independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: On multivariate analysis, serum albumin and Okuda staging were found to independently influence survival of patients treated with Doxorubicin eluting beads for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. The presence of portal vein thrombosis did not affect the long term survival. [Table: see text] No significant financial relationships to disclose.