PLoS ONE (Jan 2019)

Refractoriness to transarterial chemoembolization in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection.

  • Mi Young Jeon,
  • Hye Soo Kim,
  • Tae Seop Lim,
  • Dai Hoon Han,
  • Beom Kyung Kim,
  • Jun Yong Park,
  • Do Young Kim,
  • Sang Hoon Ahn,
  • Gi Hong Choi,
  • Jin Sub Choi,
  • Kwang-Hyub Han,
  • Seung Up Kim

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214613
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 4
p. e0214613

Abstract

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Background/aimsIt is important to identify patients who are refractory to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), which is performed for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the predictors of poor treatment outcomes in patients with recurrent HCC treated who were treated with TACE after curative resection.Methods428 patients with recurrent HCC after curative resection who were treated with TACE were enrolled.ResultsThe median age of the study population was 59.2 years. On multivariate analysis, ≥2 TACE procedures within 6 months (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.898), and the des-gamma carboxyprothrombin level (HR = 1.000) independently predicted the progression to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C in patients with BCLC stage 0-B HCC (both PConclusionsMore than 2 TACE procedures within 6 months might be associated with the refractoriness to TACE in patients with recurrent HCC after curative resection.