Prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization after R0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion

Abstract Objective Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a risk factor for disease recurrence and worse survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after radical resection. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) after R0 resection in HCC...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wenjie Sun, Yafang Li, Haozhe Fu, Jiangze Li, Jinbao Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2025-06-01
Series:Discover Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-025-02722-w
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850225880763203584
author Wenjie Sun
Yafang Li
Haozhe Fu
Jiangze Li
Jinbao Li
author_facet Wenjie Sun
Yafang Li
Haozhe Fu
Jiangze Li
Jinbao Li
author_sort Wenjie Sun
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Objective Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a risk factor for disease recurrence and worse survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after radical resection. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) after R0 resection in HCC patients with MVI. Methods A total of 130 HCC patients with MVI who received R0 resection were retrospectively analyzed, and categorized into TACE (n = 73) and non-TACE (n = 57) groups according to whether prophylactic TACE after R0 resection was performed or not. Tumor recurrence, death, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Results Tumor grading (P = 0.001), minor axis of tumor (P = 0.017), neutrophil (P = 0.029), and aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.014) were higher in TACE group compared to non-TACE group at baseline, indicating a worse baseline disease condition in TACE group. During the follow up, tumor recurrence rate (56.2% versus 61.4%, P = 0.548), mortality rate (37.0% vs. 43.9%, P = 0.427), RFS (median: 44.0 versus 37.0 months, P = 0.325), and OS (median not reached in both groups, P = 0.355) were not different between TACE and non-TACE groups. Considering the worse baseline disease condition in TACE group versus non-TACE group as confounding factor, that affects the evaluation of efficacy; the multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed for adjustment, which revealed that group (TACE versus non-TACE) was independently correlated with prolonged RFS (P = 0.007, HR = 0.447, 95% CI: 0.248–0.804) and OS (P = 0.001, HR = 0.260, 95% CI: 0.116–0.583). Conclusion Prophylactic TACE after R0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in HCC patients with MVI. However, further large-scale, randomized, controlled studies are needed for verification.
format Article
id doaj-art-dc08aeb2d8e44ccd9d0a27bfd68da304
institution OA Journals
issn 2730-6011
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Springer
record_format Article
series Discover Oncology
spelling doaj-art-dc08aeb2d8e44ccd9d0a27bfd68da3042025-08-20T02:05:13ZengSpringerDiscover Oncology2730-60112025-06-011611910.1007/s12672-025-02722-wProphylactic transarterial chemoembolization after R0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasionWenjie Sun0Yafang Li1Haozhe Fu2Jiangze Li3Jinbao Li4Department of Interventional Radiology and Vasular Surgery, Baoji Central HospitalDepartment of Ultrasonography, Baoji Stomatological Hospital, The Sixth People’s Hospital of Baoji)Department of Interventional Radiology and Vasular Surgery, Baoji Central HospitalDepartment of Interventional Radiology and Vasular Surgery, Baoji Central HospitalDepartment of Interventional Radiology and Vasular Surgery, Baoji Central HospitalAbstract Objective Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a risk factor for disease recurrence and worse survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after radical resection. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) after R0 resection in HCC patients with MVI. Methods A total of 130 HCC patients with MVI who received R0 resection were retrospectively analyzed, and categorized into TACE (n = 73) and non-TACE (n = 57) groups according to whether prophylactic TACE after R0 resection was performed or not. Tumor recurrence, death, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Results Tumor grading (P = 0.001), minor axis of tumor (P = 0.017), neutrophil (P = 0.029), and aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.014) were higher in TACE group compared to non-TACE group at baseline, indicating a worse baseline disease condition in TACE group. During the follow up, tumor recurrence rate (56.2% versus 61.4%, P = 0.548), mortality rate (37.0% vs. 43.9%, P = 0.427), RFS (median: 44.0 versus 37.0 months, P = 0.325), and OS (median not reached in both groups, P = 0.355) were not different between TACE and non-TACE groups. Considering the worse baseline disease condition in TACE group versus non-TACE group as confounding factor, that affects the evaluation of efficacy; the multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed for adjustment, which revealed that group (TACE versus non-TACE) was independently correlated with prolonged RFS (P = 0.007, HR = 0.447, 95% CI: 0.248–0.804) and OS (P = 0.001, HR = 0.260, 95% CI: 0.116–0.583). Conclusion Prophylactic TACE after R0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in HCC patients with MVI. However, further large-scale, randomized, controlled studies are needed for verification.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-025-02722-wHepatocellular carcinomaMicrovascular invasionProphylactic transarterial chemoembolizationRecurrence-free survivalOverall survival
spellingShingle Wenjie Sun
Yafang Li
Haozhe Fu
Jiangze Li
Jinbao Li
Prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization after R0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion
Discover Oncology
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Microvascular invasion
Prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization
Recurrence-free survival
Overall survival
title Prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization after R0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion
title_full Prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization after R0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion
title_fullStr Prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization after R0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion
title_full_unstemmed Prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization after R0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion
title_short Prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization after R0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion
title_sort prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization after r0 resection is beneficial to improve the prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with microvascular invasion
topic Hepatocellular carcinoma
Microvascular invasion
Prophylactic transarterial chemoembolization
Recurrence-free survival
Overall survival
url https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-025-02722-w
work_keys_str_mv AT wenjiesun prophylactictransarterialchemoembolizationafterr0resectionisbeneficialtoimprovetheprognosisinhepatocellularcarcinomapatientswithmicrovascularinvasion
AT yafangli prophylactictransarterialchemoembolizationafterr0resectionisbeneficialtoimprovetheprognosisinhepatocellularcarcinomapatientswithmicrovascularinvasion
AT haozhefu prophylactictransarterialchemoembolizationafterr0resectionisbeneficialtoimprovetheprognosisinhepatocellularcarcinomapatientswithmicrovascularinvasion
AT jiangzeli prophylactictransarterialchemoembolizationafterr0resectionisbeneficialtoimprovetheprognosisinhepatocellularcarcinomapatientswithmicrovascularinvasion
AT jinbaoli prophylactictransarterialchemoembolizationafterr0resectionisbeneficialtoimprovetheprognosisinhepatocellularcarcinomapatientswithmicrovascularinvasion