Effect of postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization on postoperative survival of patients with liver cancer and related influencing factors for prognosis

Objective To investigate the effect of postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization ( TACE) on the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) , as well as influencing factors for prognosis. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 215 HCC patients who were admitted to Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 2007 to December 2012. According to whether TACE was given after hepatectomy, these patients were divided into single group with 95 patients and combination group with120 patients. A comparative analysis was performed for the two groups. The patients in the single group were given hepatectomy alone, and those in the combination group were given hepatectomy followed by TACE at one month after surgery. General status, treatment condition, and related clinical indices were recorded for both groups, and the two groups were compared in terms of the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates and disease-free survival rates after surgery. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for comparison of survival rates between groups, and univariate analysis and Cox multivariate regression analysis were used to investigate the influencing factors for prognosis after hepatectomy. Results In the combination group, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 96. 5%, 67. 0%, and 51. 0%, respectively, with a median survival time of 51 months; in the single group, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 84. 0%, 49. 5%, and 36. 5%, respectively, with a median survival time of 39 months; there was a significant difference in survival rates between the two groups ( χ2= 5. 540, P = 0. 018) . The 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 91. 7%, 62. 5%, and 37. 5%, respectively, in the combination group and 84. 0%, 42. 1%, and 26. 3%, respectively, in the single group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups ( χ2= 4. 942, P = 0. 027) . Preoperative alpha-fetoprotein > 400 μg/L, TNM stage III, multiple tumors, tumor diameter > 5 cm, positive HBs Ag, and vascular invasion were independent prognostic factors in patients after hepatectomy, while TACE was a protective factor for long-term survival of these patients. Conclusion Adjuvant TACE after hepatectomy can significantly improve the survival rate and disease-free survival rate of HCC patients and has great significance in improving surgical outcome.