Prognostic Value of Liver Function and Tumor Burden Scores in Patients with HCC After Transarterial Radioembolization - Retrospective Single Center Analysis.
In a retrospective single-center cohort of 86 predominantly older patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis treated with TARE, ALBI was the strongest reported survival predictor, while tumor burden had limited prognostic relevance and ALBI worsened within 12 weeks after treatment.
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In a retrospective single-center cohort of 86 predominantly older patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis treated with TARE, ALBI was the strongest reported survival predictor, while tumor burden had limited prognostic relevance and ALBI worsened within 12 weeks after treatment.
Research significance
The study provides observational evidence that hepatic functional reserve, particularly the ALBI score, is associated with survival after TARE; it may therefore help stratify or monitor patients, but improved treatment selection, reduced toxicity, and applicability to pediatric oncology remain untested in this record.
Source abstract
BACKGROUND: Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is an established locoregional therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Prognosis depends on both tumor progression and hepatic function. Despite multiple scoring systems, predicting therapeutic benefit remains challenging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study evaluated the prognostic performance of established scores (BCLC, HAP, CLIP, OKUDA, ALBI, MELD, and Child-Pugh) for survival after TARE in 86 patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis. Predictive accuracy for 3-, 6-, and 12-month survival was assessed using ROC curve analyses. RESULTS: The median age was 67 years, and the predominant etiologies were alcohol-related and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Only ALBI and OKUDA were significantly associated with overall survival (HR 3.10; p < 0.001 and HR 5.02; p = 0.018, respectively). ALBI and CLIP showed the highest predictive accuracy for 3-, 6-, and 12-month survival. In multivariablee analysis, ALBI and OKUDA remained independent predictors of 12-month survival (HR 3.70; p = 0.001 and HR 5.01; p = 0.025, respectively). The ALBI score worsened significantly within 12 weeks after TARE (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The ALBI score was the strongest predictor of survival following TARE. In contrast, tumor burden showed limited prognostic relevance, underscoring hepatic functional reserve as a key determinant of outcomes after locoregional liver cancer therapy.