title: Multivariate analysis of the predictors of survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transarterial chemoembolization: focusing on superselective chemoembolization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While the prognostic factors of survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) are well known, the clinical significance of performing selective TACE for HCC patients has not been clearly documented. We tried to analyze the potential factors of disease-free survival for these patients, including the performance of selective TACE.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 151 patients with HCC who underwent TACE were retrospectively analyzed for their disease-free survival (a median follow-up of 23 months, range: 1-88 months). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for 20 potential factors by using the Cox proportional hazard model, including 19 baseline factors and one procedure-related factor (conventional versus selective TACE). The parameters that proved to be significant on the univariate analysis were subsequently tested with the multivariate model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Conventional or selective TACE was performed for 40 and 111 patients, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that tumor multiplicity, venous tumor thrombosis and selective TACE were the only three independent significant prognostic factors of disease-free survival (p = 0.002, 0.015 and 0.019, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, selective TACE was a favorable prognostic factor for the disease-free survival of patients with HCC who underwent TACE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Seoul Veterans Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Suk Kyeong
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Yun Ku
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Yong Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Mi Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoon Ok
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae Kyun
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Wan Tae
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007459:Iodized Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D003287:Contrast Media; D007459:Iodized Oil; D004317:Doxorubicin