[Effect of postoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization on hepatocellular carcinoma patients with residual tumor].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with residual tumor.


METHODS
The patients were classified into intervention group (with adjuvant TACE) and control group (without adjuvant TACE) who were further stratified to those with high risk (patients with single tumor > 5 cm in diameter, or with multiple tumors, invasion to blood vessels), and low risk factors. Univariate analysis and Cox model were used to analyse prognostic factors.


RESULTS
In low risk patients with residual tumor, the 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-year survival rate was 97.2%, 78.0%, 66.5% and 66.5% in the intervention group, and 91.2%, 81.4%, 70.3% and 54.4% in the control group, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in survival (log-rank P = 0.7667). Comparing with the control group, the 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-year survival rate was 89.5%, 73.4%, 59.2% and 53.8% in the intervention group, and 70.5%, 61.9%, 46.8% and 46.8% in the control group, respectively. Postoperative adjuvant TACE significantly prolonged the survival in high risk patients with residual tumor (P = 0.0029). Cox model revealed that the benefit of adjuvant TACE was significantly increased by the high risk factors in HCC patients with residual tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
The beneficial effect of postoperative TACE was only observed in high risk patients with residual tumor but not in the low risk patients with residual tumor.
Ren
Zheng-gang
ZG
Liver Cancer Intitute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Lin
Zhi-ying
ZY
Xia
Jing-lin
JL
Zhang
Bo-heng
BH
Ye
Sheng-long
SL
Chen
Shi-yao
SY
Gan
Yu-hong
YH
Wu
Xiao-feng
XF
Chen
Yi
Y
Ge
Ning-ling
NL
Wu
Zhi-quan
ZQ
Ma
Zeng-chen
ZC
Zhou
Xin-da
XD
Fan
Jia
J
Qin
Lun-xiu
LX
Ye
Qing-hai
QH
Sun
Hui-chuan
HC
Zhou
Jian
J
Tang
Zhao-you
ZY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D015996:Survival Rate