Table 1.

Indications for TACE in HCC Patients

Diagnosis	Patients with confirmed diagnosis on the basis of EASL consensus diagnostic criteria for HCC
Tumor status	No extrahepatic localizations
No main PV thrombosis
Tumor involvement > 50% of the liver parenchyma
Patients with HCC not suitable for curative treatments such as resection, liver transplantation, or percutaneous ablation according to BCLC staging classification and treatment schedule
Ablation is the indicated treatment (early stage), but not if treatment is unfeasible or if patient has declined
Patients who demonstrate recurrence after potentially curative treatment (resection and percutaneous ablation) and who have clearly measurable disease according to modified RECIST criteria or even after transplantation
Patient performance status	Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status < 3 or Karnofsky score > 70
Patient metabolic status	Patients with well-preserved liver function (Child-Pugh class A/B) without encephalopathy and mild or severe ascites
Serum creatinine < 2 mg/dl (177 μmol/l)
Platelet count > 50,000/mm3
Prothrombin activity > 50%
Doxorubicin related	WBC > 3000 cells per mm3; neutrophils > 1500 cells per mm3; left ventricular ejection fraction > 50%

EASL, European Association for the Study of the Liver; PV, Portal Vein; RECIST, Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors; WBCs, White blood cells.