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Lipiodolized transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma patients after curative resection

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Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To explore the effect of lipiodolized transarterial chemoembolization (lip-TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients at different risk of recurrence after curative resection.

Methods

One thousand nine hundred and twenty-four consecutive HCC patients who underwent curative resection were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who underwent resection only were classified into control group, while those received adjuvant lip-TACE were classified into intervention group. Patients were further stratified into 4 groups, that is, tumor ≤5 cm with low or high risk factors, as well as tumor >5 cm with low or high risk factors for recurrence. Tumor number and microscopic tumor thrombus were defined as risk factors for recurrence. The effect of adjuvant lip-TACE on early (<2 year) or late (≥2 year) recurrence was evaluated.

Results

There was no significant difference in recurrence curve between intervention group and control group in each stratum. Adjuvant lip-TACE showed an overall survival benefit in patients with tumor >5 cm and presenting high risk factors, mainly for those with time to recurrence (TTR) <2 years after operation. For them, the median survival was 17 months in the intervention group and 11 months in the control group (P = 0.010). For patients who were confirmed to be recurrence-free at 2 years after operation, it had the negative effect for survival (HR = 1.75, P = 0.004).

Conclusion

Adjuvant lip-TACE had no preventive effect on recurrence, but may be of benefit to detect early recurrence.

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Abbreviations

HCC:

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Lip-TACE:

Lipiodolized transarterial chemoembolization

CT:

Computed tomography

GGT:

Gamma-glutamyl transferase

SD:

Standard deviation

TTR:

Time to recurrence

HR:

Hazard ratio

CI:

Confidence interval

HBsAg:

Hepatitis B surface antigen

HCVAb:

Hepatitis C virus antibody

AFP:

Alpha-fetoprotein

RF:

Radio frequency

RCT:

Randomized control trial

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the contributions of the other investigators in this study. The study was endorsed by the Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.

Conflict of interest

This is an original work by all the authors and no previous presentations, reports, or publications contain any material that appears in the article. We certify that no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this article exists.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Liver Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China

    Xiaohong Chen, Boheng Zhang, Xin Yin, Zhenggang Ren, Shuangjian Qiu & Jian Zhou

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  1. Xiaohong Chen
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  2. Boheng Zhang
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  3. Xin Yin
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  4. Zhenggang Ren
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  5. Shuangjian Qiu
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  6. Jian Zhou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Boheng Zhang.

Additional information

Informed Consent: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of ZhongShan Hospital.

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Chen, X., Zhang, B., Yin, X. et al. Lipiodolized transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma patients after curative resection. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 139, 773–781 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-012-1343-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-012-1343-7

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