Doxorubicin-eluting bead vs conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma before liver transplantation

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.

¹Assessment 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.