A differential risk assessment and decision model for Transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma based on hepatic function.

BACKGROUND: The decision of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) initiation and/or repetition remains challenging in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim was to develop a prognostic scoring system to guide TACE initiation/repetition. METHODS: A total of 597 consecutive patients who underwent TACE as their initial treatment for unresectable HCC were included. We derived a prediction model using independent risk factors for overall survival (OS), which was externally validated in an independent cohort (n = 739). RESULTS: Independent risk factors of OS included Albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade, maximal tumor size, alpha-fetoprotein, and tumor response to initial TACE, which were used to develop a scoring system ("ASAR"). C-index values for OS were 0.733 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.570-0.871) in the derivation, 0.700 (95% CI = 0.445-0.905) in the internal validation, and 0.680 (95% CI = 0.652-0.707) in the external validation, respectively. Patients with ASAR< 4 showed significantly longer OS than patients with ASAR≥4 in all three datasets (all P < 0.001). Among Child-Pugh class B patients, a modified model without TACE response, i.e., "ASA(R)", discriminated OS with a c-index of 0.788 (95% CI, 0.703-0.876) in the derivation, and 0.745 (95% CI, 0.646-0.862) in the internal validation, and 0.670 (95% CI, 0.605-0.725) in the external validation, respectively. Child-Pugh B patients with ASA(R) < 4 showed significantly longer OS than patients with ASA(R) ≥ 4 in all three datasets (all P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ASAR provides refined prognostication for repetition of TACE in patients with unresectable HCC. For Child-Pugh class B patients, a modified model with baseline factors might guide TACE initiation.

Magnetic resonance pancreatography: comparison of two- and three-dimensional sequences for assessment of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas.

The purpose was to compare two-dimensional (2D) magnetic resonance pancreatography (MRP) with 3D MRP to evaluate intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN). Thirty-four patients (22 men, 12 women; age range, 45-80 years) with IPMN (n = 40) were examined with MRP on 2D and 3D sequences. Two readers independently reviewed the images to assess the overall image quality, artifacts, lesion location, communication with main pancreatic duct, and potential for malignancy. The readers assigned their confidence level (1-5) for predicting ductal communication of the lesion. The results of MRP were compared with endoscopic retrograde pancreatography and surgical and histopathologic findings. Studies obtained with 3D MRP were of significantly higher technical quality than those obtained with 2D MRP. Although 3D MRP showed higher area under the ROC curve (Az) values for predicting ductal communication of the lesion, there was no statistical significance between Az values of 2D and 3D MRP (Az for 2D = 0.821, 0.864 for readers 1 and 2, respectively, and Az for 3D= 0.964, 0.921). Accuracies for discriminating benign from malignant lesions were 70 and 67.5% (reader 1 and 2, respectively, for 2D) and 62.5 and 80.1% (3D). 3D MRP showed superior image quality to that of 2D MRP but did not increase the diagnostic accuracy for predicting ductal communication of the lesion.