Prognostic Comparison Between Liver Resection and Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients With Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus: A Propensity-Score Matching Analysis

Zong-Han Liu; Ju-Xian Sun; Jin-Kai Feng; Shi-Ye Yang; Zhen-Hua Chen; Chang Liu; Zong-Tao Chai; Fei-Fei Mao; Wei-Xing Guo; Jie Shi; Shu-Qun Cheng

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.835559

Prognostic Comparison Between Liver Resection and Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients With Bile Duct Tumor Thrombus: A Propensity-Score Matching Analysis

Front Oncol. 2022 Mar 15:12:835559. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.835559. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
² Department of General Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial Armed Police Corps Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
³ Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) is rare. The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term prognosis of liver resection (LR) versus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in these patients.

Methods: Data from HCC patients with BDTT who underwent liver resection and TACE were analyzed respectively. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed in these patients.

Results: A total of 145 HCC patients with BDTT were divided into two groups: the LR group (n = 105) and the TACE group (n = 40). The median OS in the LR group was 8.0 months longer than that in the TACE group before PSM (21.0 vs. 13.0 months, P <0.001) and 9.0 months longer after PSM (20.0 vs. 11.0 months, P <0.001). The median DFS in the LR group was 3.5 months longer than that in the TACE group before PSM (7.0 vs. 3.5 months, P = 0.007) and 5 months longer after PSM (7.0 vs. 2.0 months, P = 0.007).

Conclusion: If surgery is technically feasible, liver resection provides better prognosis for HCC patients with BDTT compared with TACE.

Keywords: bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT); hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); liver resection; prognosis; transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).