Drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization as neoadjuvant therapy pre-liver transplantation for advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma

Table 1 Baseline patient demographic and disease characteristics

Characteristics	Total, n = 99	DEB-TACE group, n = 45	Control group, n = 54	P value
Age in yr	52.6 ± 11.1	52.0 ± 12.1	53.0 ± 10.2	0.64
Sex				> 0.99
Male	92 (92.9)	42 (93.3)	50 (92.6)
Female	7 (7.1)	3 (6.7)	4 (7.4)
ECOG PS score				0.53
0	45 (45.5)	22 (48.9)	23 (42.6)
1	54 (54.5)	23 (51.1 )	31 (57.4)
HBV	99 (100.0)	45 (100.0)	54 (100.0)
Child­Pugh classification				< 0.01
A	83 (84.7)	43 (95.6)	40 (75.5)
B	11 (11.2)	2 (4.4)	9 (17.0)
C	4 (4.1)	0 (0.0)	4 (7.5)
Time to LT in month	1.0 (1.0, 2.0)	2.0 (1.0, 3.5)	1.0 (1.0, 1.0)	< 0.01
Macrovascular invasion				0.96
Negative	68 (68.7)	31 (68.9)	37 (68.5)
Segmental PVTT	31 (31.3)	14 (31.1)	17 (31.5)
AFP level at admission in ng/mL	94.7 (12.8, 3561.1)	275.1 (17.2, 5428.8)	43.1 (9.7, 455.2)	0.07
AFP level before LT in ng/mL	41.7 (8.0, 601.4)	41.7 (4.7, 619.7)	43.1 (9.7, 455.2)	0.61
AFP ≤ 400 ng/mL	74 (74.4)	32 (71.1)	42 (77.8)	0.44
AFP > 400 ng/mL	25 (25.3)	13 (28.9)	12 (22.2)
Overall diameter of target tumors in cm	8.0 (5.2, 11.3)	6.9 (4.7, 11.8)	8.0 (5.4, 11.0)	0.87
≤ 7 cm	46 (46.5)	24 (53.3)	22 (40.7)	0.21
> 7 cm	53 (53.5)	21 (46.7)	32 (59.3)
Tumor grade				0.97
Well differentiated	3 (3.0)	1 (2.2)	2 (3.7)
Moderately differentiated	71 (71.7)	33 (73.3)	38 (70.4)
Undifferentiated	25 (25.3)	11 (24.4)	14 (25.9)

Data are expressed as n (%) or mean ± SD. AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; DEB-TACE: Drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization; ECOG PS: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; LT: Liver transplantation; PVTT: Portal vein tumor thrombus.