Revisiting the role of pathological analysis in transarterial chemoembolization-treated hepatocellular carcinoma after transplantation

Table 1 Histological characteristics of all examined nodules (above) and of all viable nodules (any amount of residual tumor, below) n (%)

Examined nodules (n = 275)
Mean diameter (cm)	1.89 ± 1.18 (range 0.30-6.00)
Mean volume (cm3)	8.59 ± 16.93 (range 0.01-113.04)
Mean viable volume (cm3)	3.47 ± 9.56 (range 0-78.36)
Complete coagulative necrosis	85 (30.9)
Mean necrosis percentage	48.54% ± 45.58%
Microvascular invasion	81 (29.5)
Infiltrative margins	84 (30.9)
Viable nodules (n = 190)
Trabecular/trabeculo-acinar pattern	129 (67.9)
Edmondson’s grade:
1	10 (5.3)
2	78 (41.1)
3	100 (52.6)
4	2 (1.1)
Clear cell changes	14 (7.4)

Table 2 Recurrence-free survival data and hazard ratios of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence according to the histological score classes n (%)

HS risk classes	Mean recurrence-free survivaltime (± SE; years)	5-yr recurrence-free survivalrate (± SE)	Hazard ratio(95%CI)1	HCC recurrence cases	HCC-related deaths
Low (HS: 0-1; n = 61)	6.60 ± 0.15	96.7% ± 2.3%	1.00	2 (3.3)	1 (1.6)
Moderate (HS: 1-2; n = 27)	5.43 ± 0.45	77.9% ± 8.9%	6.37 (1.23-32.86)	5 (18.5)	3 (11.1)
High (HS: >2; n = 13)	2.92 ± 0.21	40.0% ± 14.6%	23.18 (4.80-111.96)	7 (53.8)	5 (38.5)

¹Univariate Cox proportional hazards model. SE: Standard error; CI: Confidence interval; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; HS: Histological score.