Table 3.
Patient analysis according to the type of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (per patient analysis) n (%)
| Variable | All treated patients (n = 38) |
Type of TACE |
P value | |
| DEB-TACE (n = 22) | c-TACE (n = 16) | |||
| Number of nodules per patients | 2.2 ± 1.3 | 2.2 ± 1.2 | 2.1 ± 1.4 | 0.7019 |
| Untreated nodules | 21/84 (25.0) | 13/51 (25.4) | 8/33 (24.2) | 0.8934 |
| Nodule number class at pathology | 0.1473 | |||
| 1 nodule | 17 (44.7) | 8 (36.4) | 9 (56.3) | |
| 1 < nodules < 4 | 14 (36.8) | 11 (50.0) | 3 (18.7) | |
| ≥ 4 nodules | 7 (18.4) | 3 (13.6) | 4 (25.0) | |
| Sum of tumor diameters (cm) | 4.2 ± 2.8 | 4.1 ± 2.4 | 4.5 ± 3.3 | 0.5813 |
| CTA (cm2) | 5.5 (0.8-78.5) | 4.6 (1.5-19.1) | 7.2 (0.8-78.5) | 0.8592 |
| Necrosis on CTA | 55.2% ± 37.0% | 58.8% ± 36.6% | 50.2% ± 38.1% | 0.4856 |
| Adherence to MC at pathology | 0.4250 | |||
| Within MC | 31 (81.6) | 19 (86.4) | 12 (75.0) | |
| Beyond MC | 7 (18.4) | 3 (13.6) | 4 (25.0) | |
| Histological response | 0.2896 | |||
| Appropriate (necrosis on CTA ≥ 90%) | 11 (28.9) | 8 (36.4) | 3 (18.7) | |
| Partial (50% < necrosis on CTA < 90%) | 8 (21.1) | 3 (13.6) | 5 (31.3) | |
| Inadequate (necrosis on CTA ≤ 50%) | 19 (50.0) | 11 (50.0) | 8 (50.0) | |
| Risk factors for recurrence | ||||
| Microvascular invasion | 7 (18.4) | 5 (22.7) | 2 (12.5) | 0.4271 |
| 1Grading > 2 | 7 (18.4) | 2/18 (11.1) | 5/14 (35.7) | 0.1948 |
Analysis includes the 21 nodules not reached by transarterial treatment (non-targeted lesions). Continuous variables are reported as medians and ranges or means and standard deviations.
1
Assessment of tumor grading was not available for 6 patients who had complete necrosis at explant examination. TACE: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization; DEB: Doxorubicin-eluting bead; CTA: Cumulative tumor area; MC: Milan Criteria; c-TACE: Conventional TACE.