Factor Analysis of the Effect of Hepatitis B-Related Liver Cancer Treatment Efficacy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Drug-eluting bead transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) is commonly used to treat unresectable hepatitis B-related primary liver cancer, but its therapeutic effect is influenced by various factors. This study analyzes the clinical factors related to the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with DEB-TACE to provide reference data for individualized treatment.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 128 patients with hepatitis B-related primary liver cancer who received DEB-TACE treatment and being followed up (range of follow-up: 4-39 months) were included. The relationships between clinical characteristics, tumor markers, inflammatory factors, blood biochemical parameters, and OS and PFS were analyzed. Statistical methods, including Kaplan-Meier analysis, the Log rank test, and Cox regression analysis, were used to evaluate independent factors affecting patient prognosis.

RESULTS

Factors such as tumor size, tumor number, vascular invasion, extrahepatic metastasis, stage (CNLC and BCLC), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level significantly affected OS and PFS (P < 0.05). In particular, patients with a tumor diameter >5 cm, multiple tumors, portal vein invasion, and extrahepatic metastasis had significantly shorter OS and PFS. Preoperative inflammatory factors (eg, white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein) and blood biochemical parameters (eg, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), albumin (ALB)) were closely related to patient prognosis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age, Child-Pugh score, BCLC stage, TBIL, ALB, CRP, and AFP were independent prognostic factors for OS.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the significance of tumor clinical characteristics and preoperative inflammatory factors in predicting the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B-related HCC treated with DEB-TACE. By comprehensively evaluating these clinical and biological markers, more personalized treatment plans can be developed for liver cancer patients, thereby improving treatment outcomes and survival rates.