Postoperative Adjuvant Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Research Articles

Prognosis comparison between hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion who received hepatectomy alone and those who underwent early PA-TACE: a retrospective cohort study.

Postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) can achieve longer overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with microvascular invasion (MVI). We investigated whether this treatment strategy could benefit these patients by mediating the dysfunctional immunological status. Therefore, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the effect of early PA-TACE in HCC patients with MVI by measuring the levels of T helper cell 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cell (Treg). This study retrospectively included 472 patients with HCC undergoing hepatectomy between December 2015 and December 2018, and 115 patients with MVI confirmed by postoperative pathology were enrolled and divided into two groups of TACE group and non-TACE group according to whether TACE was performed. HCC patients with MVI. The proportion of Treg and Th17 cells in peripheral blood was measured one day before and four weeks after TACE. All patients in the two groups were followed up until death or until the study ended in December 2023. The rates of OS and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with MVI were compared between those who received hepatectomy alone and those who underwent early PA-TACE. Among 115 HCC patients with MVI from 472 patients, the study enrolled 51 patients with PA-TACE into the TACE group and 42 patients without TACE into the non-TACE group. There were no statistical differences in baseline data between the two groups (all P>0.05). The frequency of Treg among CD4+ T cells in HCC patients with PA-TACE was significantly lower than baseline (7.34%±3.61% vs. 5.82%±2.76%, P<0.001), and the frequency of Th17 among CD4+ T cells in these patients was significantly higher than baseline (0.49%±0.28% vs. 0.50%±0.25%, P<0.001). Among all the patients, the median OS was 61.8 months. The OS rate and PFS rate at 12, 36, and 60 months in the TACE group were significantly higher than those in the non-TACE group (all P<0.05). PA-TACE may have roles in improving survival outcomes, and restoring immune homeostasis in HCC patients with MVI after hepatectomy.

Prognostic factors and an innovative nomogram model for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization

Purpose The purpose of this study was to estimate the clinical efficacy and identify the best beneficiaries of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients and methods A total of 749 HCC patients who underwent surgical resection (380 underwent PA-TACE, 369 had resection only) with a high risk of recurrence were reviewed retrospectively. Patients receiving PA-TACE were randomly split into development and validation cohorts. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in the development cohort. A novel model for PA-TACE-insensitivity prediction was built based on univariate and multivariate analysis and was multi-dimensionally validated in the validation set and all samples. Results After propensity score matching (PSM), in the early-recurrence group, no significant improvement in RFS was achieved with PA-TACE compared to radical hepatic resection alone. PA-TACE insensitive patients were considered as the PA-TACE non-benefit population and were associated with six clinicopathological factors: AFP, node number, tumor capsule, Ki-67 index, MVI, and complications in the development cohort. These factors were incorporated into a nomogram model, which reliably predicted PA-TACE insensitivity, with concordance indices of 0.874 and 0.897 for the development and validation cohort, respectively. In the overall sample, PA-TACE did not significantly improve patients’ RFS and OS in the high-score group, while the low-score group had statistical significance. Recurrence pattern diversity was also found to be a factor leading to PA-TACE insensitivity. Conclusion We constructed a new PA-TACE-insensitivity prediction model with potential clinical value. The good predictive performance and availability would allow this model to effectively screen PA-TACE beneficiaries. KEY MESSAGES The independent influencing factors of PA-TACE insensitivity in patients who received PA-TACE were analyzed to construct a predictive model and its clinical application performance was verified with multi-dimensional methods. PA-TACE treatment should be avoided for patients with high scores according to this model, while it should be cautiously recommended for patients with low scores after multiple considerations. Compared with other related models, this model has obvious advantages in versatility and effectiveness. It can effectively screen the best benefit population of PA-TACE and provide a reliable reference for the selection of precise treatment plans for patients after radical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Surgical Margin Affects the Long-Term Prognosis of Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Radical Hepatectomy Followed by Adjuvant TACE.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment in wide- and narrow-margin groups could improve the long-term prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 670 patients with HCC who underwent radical hepatectomy from January 2016 to December 2017 were enrolled, including 397 patients and 273 patients in the wide- and narrow-margin groups. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes were compared in the wide-margin and narrow-margin groups with and without adjuvant TACE postoperatively, respectively. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to match patients between TACE and no TACE groups in a 1:1 ratio. The wide-margin resection was associated with better RFS and OS rates than narrow-margin resection for patients with HCC. Patients with postoperative adjuvant TACE had a better RFS and OS than patients without postoperative adjuvant TACE in the narrow-margin group and reduced the intrahepatic recurrence rate (39.1% vs. 52.6%, P = .036) and the local recurrence rate in the liver (11.2% vs. 21.4%, P = .032). But postoperative adjuvant TACE did not alter recurrence and survival outcomes in the wide-margin group. Similar results were noted after propensity score matching (PSM). The wide-margin resection had better RFS and OS than the narrow-margin resection for patients with HCC. Postoperative adjuvant TACE was associated with reduced recurrence and improved OS after narrow-margin resection, but was not effective in the wide-margin resection.

Survival benefit of adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after anatomical hepatectomy

ABSTRACT Background & aims Although anatomical hepatectomy (AH) is widely used in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the prognosis is still unsatisfactory. The present study aimed to evaluate the survival benefit of adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for patients with HCC after AH. Methods A total of 832 patients were stratified into with adjuvant TACE (443, 53.2%) and without adjuvant TACE group (389, 46.8%) AH. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to control for confounding factors, and multivariable Cox regression was performed to determine the independent risk factors. Results After PSM, the results showed that the adjuvant TACE group had better overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Among the patients with tumor recurrence, adjuvant TACE was associated with a high rate of early-stage tumor at recurrence, a lower recurrence rate around the frontal margin and extrahepatic metastases, and a higher rate of receiving curative treatment. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that adjuvant TACE was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR 0.673, P = 0.001) and RFS (HR 0.650, P = 0.001). Conclusions Patients with HCC after AH can benefit from postoperative adjuvant TACE. Therefore, adjuvant TACE should be considered for patients with a high risk of recurrence.

Therapeutic effect of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization based on the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.

To evaluate the feasibility of the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an index to guide postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) in patients with liver cancer. We recruited a total of 166 patients with liver cancer who underwent surgery alone or surgery plus PA-TACE between January 2013 and June 2017 and compared the 1, 2, and 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) between patients with high and low NLRs, surgery and surgery plus PA-TACE groups, and relevant subgroups using the Kaplan-Meier method. We also evaluated the independent factors affecting the prognosis of liver cancer after surgery using a Cox risk ratio model and correlation between NLR levels and high-risk recurrence factors of liver cancer with logistic regression analysis. The 1, 2, and 3-year RFS rates were all significantly higher in the low-NLR group compared to the high-NLR group (P < 0.05). However, the 1, 2, and 3-year OS rates were similar in the low- and high-NLR groups (P > 0.05). After propensity score matching, the 1, 2, and 3-year RFS and OS rates were significantly better in patients treated with surgery plus PA-TACE compared with surgery alone (P < 0.05). The 1, 2, and 3-year RFS and OS rates were also significantly better in the surgery plus PA-TACE subgroup compared with the surgery-alone subgroup in the high-NLR group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in RFS or OS between the surgery plus PA-TACE and surgery-alone subgroups at 1, 2, and 3 years in the low-NLR group (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis in the high-NLR group showed that a poorly differentiated or undifferentiated tumor was an independent risk factor for postoperative RFS. Multiple tumors were an independent risk factor for postoperative OS (P < 0.05), while PA-TACE was an independent protective factor for postoperative RFS and OS (P < 0.05). In the low-NLR group, AFP > 400 µg/L was an independent risk factor for postoperative OS (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression indicated that patients with a maximum tumor diameter of >5 cm were at increased risk of having high NLR levels compared to patients with a maximum tumor diameter of <5 cm (P < 0.05). PA-TACE can improve the prognosis of patients with a high preoperative NLR (≥2.5), but has no obvious benefit in patients with low preoperative NLR (<2.5). This may provide a reference for clinical selection of PA-TACE.

A new prognostic model predicting hepatocellular carcinoma early recurrence in patients with microvascular invasion who received postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.

In this study, we aimed to develop a prognostic model to predict HCC early recurrence (within 1-year) in patients with microvascular invasion who received postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE). A total of 148 HCC patients with MVI who received PA-TACE were included in this study. The modes were verified in an internal validation cohort (n=112) and an external cohort (n=36). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the independent prognostic factors relevant to early recurrence. A clinical nomogram prognostic model was established, and nomogram performance was assessed via internal validation and calibration curve statistics. After data dimensionality reduction and element selection, multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that alpha fetoprotein level, systemic inflammation response index, alanine aminotransferase, tumour diameter and portal vein tumour thrombus were independent prognostic factors of HCC early recurrence in patients with MVI who underwent PA-TACE. Nomogram with independent factors was established and achieved a better concordance index of 0.765 (95% CI: 0.691-0.839) and 0.740 (95% CI: 0.583-0.898) for predicting early recurrence in training cohort and validation cohort, respectively. Time-dependent AUC indicated comparative stability and adequate discriminative ability of the model. The DCA revealed that the nomogram could augment net benefits and exhibited a wider range of threshold probabilities than AJCC T stage. The nomogram prognostic model showed adequate discriminative ability and high predictive accuracy.

Vessels that encapsulate tumor clusters (VETC) pattern predicts the efficacy of adjuvant TACE in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Postoperative adjuvant trans-catheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is regarded as a common strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients at a high risk of recurrence. However, there are currently no clinically available biomarkers to predict adjuvant TACE response. Vessels that encapsulate tumor clusters (VETC) can be used as an independent predictor of HCC prognosis. In this study, we aimed to explore whether the VETC pattern could predict adjuvant TACE benefit. Vascular pattern and HIF-1α expression were detected in immunohistochemistry. The survival benefit of adjuvant TACE therapy for patients with or without VETC pattern (VETC+ /VETC-) was evaluated. The adjuvant TACE therapy obviously improved the TTR and OS in VETC+ patients, while adjuvant TACE therapy could not benefit from VETC- patients. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that adjuvant TACE therapy significantly improved the TTR and OS in VETC+ patients, but not in VETC- patients. In addition, the VETC+ , but not VETC- , patients could benefit from adjuvant TACE therapy in patients with high-risk factors of vascular invasion, larger tumor or multiple tumor. The mechanistic investigations revealed that the favorable efficacy of adjuvant TACE on VETC+ patients, but not VETC- ones, may be not due to the activation of HIF-1α pathway. The VETC pattern may represent a novel and reliable factor for selecting HCC patients who may benefit from adjuvant TACE therapy, and the combination of VETC pattern and tumor characteristics may help stratify patients' outcomes and responses to adjuvant TACE therapy.

Efficacy of Postoperative Adjuvant Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients With Microscopic Portal Vein Invasion.

BackgroundMicroscopic portal vein invasion (MPVI) strongly predicts poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to investigate the impact of MPVI on the efficacy of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE).MethodsFrom April 2014 to July 2019, a total of 512 HCC patients who underwent curative liver resection (LR) with microscopic vascular invasion (MVI) confirmed by histopathological examination were enrolled and divided into LR alone and PA-TACE groups. They were subsequently stratified into subgroups according to the presence of MPVI. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared using Kaplan–Meier curves and the log-rank test. The efficacy of PA-TACE was tested using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Sensitivity analysis was conducted after propensity score matching (PSM).ResultsAmong all patients, 165 (32.3%) patients underwent PA-TACE, and 196 (38.2%) patients presented MPVI. In the entire cohort, PA-TACE and the presence of MPVI were identified as independent predictors for RFS and OS (all p<0.05). In the subgroup analysis, patients without MPVI who received PA-TACE had significantly better outcomes than those who underwent LR alone before and after PSM (all p<0.05). For patients with MPVI, PA-TACE displayed no significant benefit in terms of improving either RFS or OS, which was consistent with the results from the PSM cohort.ConclusionAmong the HCC patients without MPVI who underwent curative liver resection, those who received PA-TACE had better RFS and OS outcomes than those who underwent LR alone. For patients with MPVI, PA-TACE had no significant effect on either RFS or OS outcomes.

CT-Based Radiomics for the Recurrence Prediction of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Surgical Resection.

PurposeTo explore the effectiveness of radiomics signature in predicting the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the benefit of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE).Patients and MethodsIn this multicenter retrospective study, 364 consecutive patients with multi-phase computed tomography (CT) images were included. Recurrence-related radiomics features of intra- and peritumoral regions were extracted from the pre-contrast, arterial and portal venous phase, respectively. The radiomics model was established in the training cohort (n = 187) using random survival forests analysis to output prediction probability as “Rad-score” and validated by the internal (n = 92) and external validation cohorts (n = 85). Besides, the Clinical nomogram was developed by clinical-radiologic-pathologic characteristics, and the Combined nomogram was further constructed to evaluate the added value of the Rad-score for individualized recurrence-free survival (RFS) prediction, which is our primary and only endpoint. The performance of the three models was assessed by the concordance index (C-index). Furthermore, all the patients were stratified into high- and low-risk groups of recurrence by the median value of the Rad-score to analyze the benefit of PA-TACE.ResultsThe model built using radiomics signature demonstrated favorable prediction of HCC recurrence across all datasets, with C-index of 0.892, 0.812, 0.809, separately in the training, the internal and external validation cohorts. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that the Rad-score was an independent prognostic factor. Significant differences were found between the high- and low-risk group in RFS prediction in all three cohorts. Further analysis showed that compared with the low-risk group, patients with the high-risk received more benefits from PA-TACE.ConclusionThe newly developed Rad-score was not only a powerful biomarker in predicting the RFS of HCC but also a strong stratification basis to explore the high-risk patients who could benefit from PA-TACE.

Research progress of adjuvant TACE therapy for liver cancer after radical resection

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the most commonly used method for non-surgical treatment of liver cancer, and it is usually used as an adjuvant therapy in patients who have not developed intrahepatic metastases after surgical resection. Postoperative adjuvant TACE therapy may provide a prognostic benefit in liver cancer patients with high recurrence risk. This article reviews the research progress of adjuvant TACE therapy for liver cancer after radical resection.

Evaluation of the Therapeutic Effect of Adjuvant Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Based on Ki67 After Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surgery.

Background and aimsThis study aimed to determine the relationship between Ki67 expression and the efficacy of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.MethodsThe Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates between the sub-groups in the ki67 low expression group and the ki67 high expression group and analyze the relationship between the expression of Ki67 and the efficacy of TACE.ResultsAfter PSM, there was no significant difference in the RFS and OS between the surgery + TACE and surgery subgroups after 1, 2, or 3 years (RFS: 63.9%, 55.6%, and 42.9% vs. 83.3%, 63.9%, and 55.6%, respectively, P = 0.279; OS: 91.7%, 83.3%, and 74.3% vs. 91.7%, 88.9%, and 71.4%, respectively, P = 0.890) in the Ki67 low-expression group. The RFS and OS were higher in the surgery + TACE subgroup than the surgery subgroup after 1, 2, and 3 years (RFS: 80.0%, 77.5%, and 69.2% vs. 53.5%, 39.5%, and 32.6%, respectively, P<0.001; OS: 97.5%, 85.0%, and 79.5% vs. 79.1%, 48.8%, and 42.9%, respectively, P = 0.001) in the Ki67 high expression group. The RFS was higher in the Ki67 high-expression subgroup than the low-expression subgroup after 1, 2, and 3 years, and OS had no significant difference (RFS: 80.0%, 79.5%, and 69.2% vs. 67.4%, 56.5%, and 46.7%, respectively, P = 0.035; OS: 97.5%, 85.0%, and 79.5% vs. 93.5%, 82.6%, and 75.6%, respectively, P = 0.665) in the surgery + TACE group.ConclusionsFor patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and high expression of Ki67 (Ki67≥20%), adjuvant hepatic artery chemoembolization after radical liver tumor resection effectively reduced the probability of tumor recurrence after surgery and prolonged the OS of patients. High Ki67 expression during the post-operative follow-up evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma patients is an indicator for adjuvant TACE therapy.

Postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization improves the prognosis of patients with huge hepatocellular carcinoma

BackgroundSurgical resection of huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, ≥ 10 cm) is potentially curative. More adjuvant treatments are needed to reduce relapses in these patients. We evaluated the influence of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) on the prognosis of huge HCC. MethodsData from consecutive patients who underwent curative resection for huge HCC in our center were retrospectively collected. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between patients who did and did not undergo PA-TACE. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used. ResultsAmong the 255 enrolled patients, 93 underwent PA-TACE. The clinical outcomes were significantly better in the PA-TACE group than those in the non PA-TACE group (5-year RFS rate: 33.5% vs. 18.0%; 5-year OS rate: 47.0% vs. 28.0%, all P < 0.001). After PSM, similar results were obtained (5-year RFS rate: 28.8% vs. 17.6%, P < 0.001; 5-year OS rate: 42.5% vs. 25.0%, P = 0.004). PA-TACE decreased the possibility of early recurrence (< 2 years, crude cohort: P < 0.001, PSM cohort: P < 0.001) but not late recurrence (≥ 2 years, crude cohort: P = 0.692, PSM cohort: P = 0.325). Multivariable Cox regression analysis suggested that PA-TACE was an independent protective factor prolonging early RFS, RFS and OS. ConclusionsPA-TACE is a safe intervention for huge HCC patients after liver resection and improves outcomes.

Efficacy of Postoperative Adjuvant Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Mesenchymal Circulating Tumor Cell

BackgroundWe demonstrated that postoperative mesenchymal circulating tumor cell (mCTC) in peripheral blood were independent risk factors for the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radical resection. However, few studies have been conducted on the efficacy and survival benefit of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) for patients with mCTC-positive HCC. We evaluated the effect of PA-TACE on the prognosis of mCTC-positive/mCTC-negative HCC patients. MethodsA total of 261 HCC patients from February 2014 to December 2017 undergoing curative hepatectomy were included in this study. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates, overall survival (OS) rates, and prognostic factors were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazard model. ResultsThe results showed that 57.8% (59/102) mCTC-positive and 43.4% (69/159) mCTC-negative patients underwent PA-TACE. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that PVTT (HR 2.370; 95% CI, 1.535–3.660; P < 0.001), BCLC stage (B+C) (HR 3.871; 95% CI, 2.544–5.892; P < 0.001), mCTC (HR 1.414; 95% CI, 1.276–1.622; P < 0.001), and without PA-TACE (HR 1.724; 95% CI, 1.152–2.580; P = 0.008) were independent risk factors for poor RFS. Meanwhile, PVTT (HR 1.744; 95% CI, 1.261–2.412; P = 0.001), multinodularity (HR 1.416; 95% CI, 1.069–1.876; P = 0.015), mCTC (HR 1.612; 95% CI, 1.471–1.796; P < 0.001), and without PA-TACE (HR 1.311; 95% CI, 1.010–1.701; P = 0.042) were independent risk factors for poor OS. Both RFS (P = 0.004) and OS (P = 0.045) in mCTC-positive patients who received PA-TACE were significantly improved relative to those who underwent hepatic resection alone. Among 102 mCTC-positive patients, the mCTC-positive rate was significantly lower in patients treated with PA-TACE than in those treated with liver resection alone (46.4% vs. 88.4%, P = 0.031). No differences were observed in DFS and OS among the mCTC-negative patients with or without PA-TACE. Early recurrence was more likely to occur in patients without PA-TACE (P = 0.006). ConclusionsPA-TACE was a safe intervention and could effectively prevent tumor recurrence and improve the survival of mCTC-positive HCC patients.

Combined postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization and portal vein chemotherapy to treat patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and portal vein tumor thrombosis: a meta-analysis

Objective To systematically review the clinical effectiveness of combined postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with portal vein chemotherapy (PVC) versus TACE alone in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Methods Databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, CNKI, China Biology Medicine, Wan Fang and VIP were searched from Jan 1st 2000 to Jun 30th 2019 for eligible studies on clinical effectiveness of combined postoperative adjuvant TACE with PVC versus TACE alone in patients with HCC and PVTT. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The secondary endpoint was adverse events. These endpoints were evaluated by odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using Review Manager 5.3 software. Results Nine studies with 642 patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. There were 323 patients in the TACE group and 319 patients in the TACE plus PVC group. The pooled OR for the 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS were all significantly better in the TACE plus PVC group than the TACE group (1-year OS, OR=2.20, 95% CI: 1.53-3.17; 2-year OS, OR=2.44, 95% CI: 1.69-3.53; 3-year OS, OR=2.30, 95% CI: 1.52-3.46) (all P 0.05). Conclusion Postoperative adjuvant TACE combined with PVC for patients with HCC and PVTT was safe and effective, and was significantly better than TACE alone in long-term prognosis. Large-scale, multi-center, prospective studies are needed to support the conclusion. Key words: Carcinoma, hepatocellular; Portal vein tumor thrombosis; Transarterial chemoembolization; Portal vein chemotherapy; Meta-analysis

Effect of prophylactic transcatheter arterial chemoembolization on hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion after R0 resection. A case-control study.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is thought to prevent recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its efficacy is a matter of controversy. We investigated the effect of preventive TACE on the tumor, nodes, metastasis (TNM) classification in cases of stage II HCC (T2N0M0) after R0 resection. Case-control study conducted in a tertiary-level public hospital. We analyzed recurrence rates and mortality rates over time for 250 consecutive cases of HCC in TNM classification cases of stage II HCC (T2N0M0) after R0 resection. These cases were divided into patients who underwent TACE (TACE+) and presented microvascular invasion (MVI+; n = 80); TACE+ but did not present MVI (MIV-; n = 100); MVI+ but did not undergo TACE (TACE-, n = 30); and TACE-/MVI- (n = 40). MVI+ patients in the TACE+ group had significantly lower recurrence rates and mortality rates at one, two and three years than those in the TACE- group (all P < 0.05). Among MVI- patients, the TACE+ group did not have significantly lower recurrence rates and mortality rates at one, two and three years than the TACE- group (all P > 0.05). Regardless of whether TACE was performed or not, MVI- patients had significantly lower recurrence rates and mortality rates at two and three years after their procedures than did MVI+ patients (all P < 0.05). Recurrence rates and mortality rates for MVI+ patients were significantly higher than for MVI- patients, beyond the first year after TACE. Postoperative adjuvant TACE may be beneficial for HCC patients with MVI.

Survival benefits from adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in patients undergoing liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:Although adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been used to prevent recurrence after surgery in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the survival benefits from adjuvant TACE remain controversial. We sought to systematically evaluate the data on the effectiveness of adjuvant TACE for HCC, as well as identify patient populations that might benefit from adjuvant TACE.Methods:The PubMed, Embase, Medline and Cochrane library were systematically searched for studies published before July 2019 that compared adjuvant TACE versus surgery alone for HCC. The study endpoints were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Patients with large HCC (⩾5 cm), multinodular HCC, microvascular invasion (MVI), or portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) were analyzed in subgroup analyses.Results:Twenty-four studies with 6977 patients were included in the analytic cohort. The pooled analysis demonstrated that adjuvant TACE was associated with a better OS and DFS [hazard ratio (HR): 0.67 and 0.67, both p < 0.01]. In subgroup analyses, pooled results revealed that adjuvant TACE was associated with an improved OS and DFS in patients with multinodular HCC (HR: 0.79 and 0.31, both p < 0.01), MVI (HR: 0.62 and 0.67, both p < 0.01), or PVTT (HR: 0.49 and 0.58, both p < 0.01), but not among patients with large HCC (⩾5 cm).Conclusion:Postoperative adjuvant TACE may be effective to improve OS and DFS in patients with multinodular HCC, or HCC with MVI or PVTT. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to better define the benefit of adjuvant TACE in subset patients with HCC.

Repeated postoperative adjuvant TACE after curative hepatectomy improves outcomes of patients with HCC

Background and aims To gain a clear picture of the influence of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) on recurrence after curative resection for HCC. Material and methods According to the inclusion criteria and the exclusion criteria, the clinical data of 118 patients with HCC at Qilu Hospital, Shan Dong University between January 2011 and August 2013, who were treated by curative hepatectomy and postoperative TACE (two groups of patients received TACE once or twice, respectively) or by curative hepatectomy alone were retrospectively studied. Results The three-year survival (RFS) rate was 51.7% for the whole study population. The three-year relapse-free RFS rates were 73.0% and 55.0% for the patients who received two and one postoperative adjuvant TACE treatments, groups respectively, and 29.3% for the hepatectomy alone group. The three-year RFS of the patients who received postoperative adjuvant TACE once was significantly higher than that of the patients who received hepatectomy alone (p = .024). And the outcome of patients with two adjuvant TACE treatments was better than that of patients who received one treatment (p = .033). Conclusions Repeated postoperative adjuvant TACE seems to be a promising treatment for HCC that might delay tumor recurrence and improve the RFS rates of patients after curative hepatectomy.

Prognostic predictors for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma receiving adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.

We aimed to confirm the clinical effectiveness of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after liver resection, and further identify the patients who could benefit most from PA-TACE. Propensity score matching at a ratio of 1 : 2 was used between hepatectomy patients with and without receiving PA-TACE. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to compare overall survival and recurrence-free survival between two groups. Univariate COX regression and stratified analyses were performed to screen and identify survival predictors for PA-TACE patients. The identified predictive markers were validated in an external cohort. The propensity analysis matched 116 patients in PA-TACE group to 232 in the control group. Visible protective effect of PA-TACE was shown by survival curves in matched series (log-rank P=0.009 and 0.008), with hazard ratio of being 0.599 (95% confidence interval: 0.420-0.855) and 0.623 (95% confidence interval: 0.449-0.866), respectively, for overall survival and recurrence-free survival. The identified prognostic predictors for PA-TACE included TNM stage, tumor size and number, hepatitis B infection, spleen diameter, preoperative serum α-fetoprotein, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and monocyte, and three risk signatures (aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine aminotransferase ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and systemic immune-inflammation index). The treatment effectiveness of adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after surgery was validated in this study, and the best candidates for PA-TACE were identified as well, including patients with late-stage tumor, portal hypertension, and high preoperative serum levels of α-fetoprotein, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, and monocytes.

Adjuvant trans-arterial chemoembolization after hepatectomy significantly improves the prognosis of low-risk patients with R0-stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is one of the local therapies most commonly used to treat intermediate-stage or advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the clinical benefits of PA-TACE (postoperative adjuvant TACE) for improving prognosis (progress-free survival [PFS] or overall survival [OS]) of low-risk HCC patients with R0-stage HCC after hepatectomy were not very clear.Methods: From January 2005 to December 2012, 180 patients who underwent hepatectomy for HCC treatment were enrolled in this study, and the follow-up of these patients was ended in December 2017. Among these patients, 102 patients were performed PA-TACE 1 month later after R0 hepatectomy and 78 patients without adjuvant TACE after R0 hepatectomy. Survival analysis was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier statistical method. Differences between survival curves of different groups were tested using the univariate log-rank test. Multivariate Cox model was used to search for independent prognostic factors for progression or death and to acquire the adjusted HR.Results: PA-TACE significantly improved the survival of HCC patients received surgical resection. The PFS (progress-free survival) of PA-TACE group (median PFS 52.0 months; 95% CI: 14.0–90.0) was significantly longer than the control group (median PFS 11.1 months; 95% CI: [7.9–14.3]; log-rank P<0.001); and the OS (in PA-TACE group (median OS 90.7 months; 95% CI: 84.4–97.0 months) was also much longer than that of control group (median OS 54.4 months; 95% CI: 38.2–70.6 months; log-rank p<0.001). Moreover, the benefits of PA-TACE are greater for low-risk patients than high-risk patients.Conclusion: In patients with HCC, PA-TACE can significantly prolong progression-free survival and long-term OS. For low-risk patients, the benefits might be greater.

Optimal postoperative adjuvant treatment strategy for HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion: a propensity score analysis.

BackgroundMicrovascular invasion (MVI) is the most important risk factor associated with early postoperative recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the efficacy of postoperative adjuvant treatment for preventing recurrence in HCC patients with MVI has not been assessed. This study investigated the efficacy of postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in HCC patients with MVI.Materials and methodsFrom July 2008 to December 2016, 117 hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC patients with MVI were retrospectively divided into two groups based on postoperative adjuvant treatments. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to adjust for significant differences in baseline characteristics. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) of the two groups were analyzed before and after PSM.ResultsOf all patients, the RT group had significantly smaller tumor size and milder MVI classification. PSM analysis created 46 pairs of patients. After matching, the two groups of patients were similar in baseline characteristics. Multivariate analysis indicated that tumor size, MVI classification, and postoperative treatment strategies were independently associated with RFS; tumor size and MVI classification were independently associated with OS. Similar multivariate analysis results were demonstrated after matching propensity score. Survival analysis revealed that the estimated median RFS and OS of patients with RT and TACE were 25.74±8.12 vs 9.18±1.67 months (P=0.003) and 60.69±7.36 vs 36.53±5.34 months (P=0.262), respectively. The RT group had significantly longer RFS than the TACE group.ConclusionPostoperative adjuvant RT offers better RFS for HCC patients with MVI than TACE.