Published in:
01-05-2014 | Original Article
Subgrouping of intermediate-stage (BCLC stage B) hepatocellular carcinoma based on tumor number and size and Child–Pugh grade correlated with prognosis after transarterial chemoembolization
Published in: Japanese Journal of Radiology | Issue 5/2014
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Purpose
To find a subgroup that benefits most from transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in terms of tumor number and size and liver profile in patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Materials and methods
Data of 325 intermediate-stage HCC patients who received TACE as the initial treatment were gathered. Four tumor numbers (3–6 tumors) and five maximum tumor diameters (3–7 cm) as well as all of their combinations but one (3 tumors and 3 cm) and Child–Pugh grade were used as variables to ascertain prognostic factors.
Results
The respective 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates in all patients were 86.5, 47.0, and 23.7 %, respectively. Tumor numbers of 4 (P = 0.00145) and 5 (P = 0.036), and tumor size of 7 cm (P = 0.015), and 12 other combinations of tumor number and size, and Child–Pugh grade (P = 0.0015) were identified as significant prognostic factors in univariate analysis, and 4 tumors of 7 cm (P = 0.0008) and Child–Pugh grade (P = 0.0036) remained significant in the stepwise Cox proportional hazard model. The overall survival was significantly better in a patient subgroup having two factors other than patient subgroups having one or no prognostic factors.
Conclusion
A patient subgroup having two prognostic factors benefited most from TACE in intermediate-stage HCC patients.