Association of Cirrhosis and Other Patient and Procedural Characteristics With Postembolization Syndrome After Bland Hepatic Artery Embolization for Hepatic Malignancy

Effect of skeletal muscle index on post-embolization syndrome of hepatocellular carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolization

BACKGROUND

Skeletal muscle index (SMI) is a commonly used research method for evaluating muscle mass.However, its impact on post-embolization syndrome(PES) of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is unclear.Our objective was to determine the effect of SMI on PES after TACE in patients with HCC.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who received TACE treatment for HCC at our hospital from 2015 to 2020. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of PES after TACE, and their clinical characteristics were compared.SMI was measured and calculated by cross-sectionally at the level of the third lumbar vertebra based on computed tomography (CT). According to the cutoff value, the patients were classified into either low or high SMI group.Potential risk factors for PES were assessed using univariate and multivariable Cox proportional risk models.

RESULTS

A total of 110 people were included in this study, from which including 82 patients experienced PES. Serum albumin was significantly lower in the PES group compared to the non-PES group.The frequency of HCC with a maximum diameter > 3 cm and low SMI in the PES group was significantly higher than in patients without PES. Cox multivariate analysis identified that the maximum diameter of HCC > 3 cm and low SMI were independent predictors of PES after TACE.

CONCLUSIONS

Low SMI is an independent predictor of PES in HCC patients after TACE treatment, making preoperative CT assessment of skeletal muscle mass is a simple and effective tool for predicting PES.

Prediction of postembolization syndrome after transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma and its impact on prognosis

BACKGROUND

Postembolization syndrome (PES) represents the most frequent complication after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with HCC. Given the vague definition as a symptom complex comprising abdominal pain, fever, and nausea, PES is diagnosed in heterogeneous patient cohorts with symptoms ranging from mild pain to severe deterioration of their general condition. This study aimed to evaluate predictive factors and the prognostic impact of PES with regard to different severity grades.

METHODS

A total of 954 patients treated with TACE for HCC at the University Medical Centres Mainz and Freiburg were included in this study. PES disease severity was graded as mild, moderate, or severe according to a predefined combination of symptoms. Logistic regression models were used to identify independent predictors of PES. The prognostic impact of PES was evaluated by competing risk analyses considering liver transplantation as a competing risk.

RESULTS

PES occurred in 616 patients (64.5%), but only 56 patients (5.9%) had severe PES, defined as moderate to severe abdominal pain requiring opioids in combination with fever and nausea. The largest tumor diameter was the strongest independent predictor of PES (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.13-1.28), and severe PES (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.14-1.33, p < 0.0001). Presence of liver cirrhosis was protective against PES (OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.27-0.84, p = 0.01). Furthermore, PES was independently associated with an impaired disease control rate (OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.16-0.69, p = 0.003) and severe PES with poor overall survival (subdistribution HR = 1.53, 95% CI = 0.99-2.36, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Tumor size and absence of liver cirrhosis are predictors of severe PES and associated with impaired prognosis in HCC patients after TACE.

Complications Related to Transarterial Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review

Currently, various types of transarterial treatments are performed for hepatocellular carcinoma from the early to advanced stages. Its indications and efficacy have been widely investigated. However, procedure-related complications have not been updated in the literature, although new types of transarterial treatments, such as drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization and transarterial radioembolization, are common in daily practice. Herein, a comprehensive literature review was carried out, and complications were organized according to the organs affected and treatment modalities.