Table 1.
Demographic characteristics
| Patient number; nodule number | N = 22; N = 29 |
| Number of TACE performed | N = 24 |
| Sum of diameters: < 3 cm | N = 16 |
| 3–5 cm | N = 6 |
| > 5 cm | N = 7 |
| Nodules dimension | |
| Maximum diameter. mm. (mean value ± SD. range) | 32.1 ± 14.4 (12–64) |
| Minimum diameter. mm. (mean value ± SD. range) | 26.0 ± 13.0 (9–53) |
| Nodules’ volume sum. cm3 (mean value ± SD. range) | 22.8 ± 27.6 (0.8–101.9) |
| Age, year (mean value ± SD. range) | 65.1 ± 14.8 (41–86) |
| Sex (M/F) | 18/4 |
| Child–Pugh N (%) | |
| A5 | 13 (59%) |
| A6 | 4 (18%) |
| B7 | 3 (13.6%) |
| B8 | 1 (4.5%) |
| B9 | 1 (4.5%) |
| BCLC N (%) | |
| A | 9 (41%) |
| B | 12 (55%) |
| C | 1 (5%) |
| Aetiology: N (%) | |
| HCV | 12 (55%) |
| HBV | 6 (27%) |
| Alcohol-related cirrhosis | 1 (5%) |
| Cryptogenetic cirrhosis | 1 (5%) |
| NASH | 2 (10%) |
| MELD: N (%) | |
| < 10 | 11 (50%) |
| ≥ 10 | 11 (50%) |
| MELDNa: N (%) | |
| < 10 | 11 (50%) |
| ≥ 10 | 11 (50%) |
| Mono-focal N (%)/multi-focal disease N (%) | 9 (41%)/13 (59%) |
| Mono-lobar/multi-lobar disease (N) | 11 (50%)/11 (50%) |
| AFP serum level | |
| < 7 μg/L | 10 (45.4%) |
| 7–400 μg/L | 7 (31.8%) |
| ≥ 400 μg/L | 5 (22.8) |
| Indications for b-TACE | |
| Down-staging | 7 (31.8%) |
| Bridging | 4 (18%) |
| Palliative | 11 (50%) |
TACE Transarterial chemoembolization; SD standard deviation; M male; F female; HCV hepatitis C virus; HBV hepatitis B virus; NASH non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; MELD model for end-stage liver disease; AFP α- fetoprotein