ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To compare the clinical results of microwave ablation (MWA) between patients downstaged to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Stage A with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and those initially classified as BCLC Stage A. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2012 to May 2017, 1,087 patients were reviewed retrospectively using propensity score matching (1:1): 86 patients underwent MWA as a curative treatment after downstaging to BCLC Stage A by TACE (downstaging group) and 86 patients initially classified as BCLC Stage A underwent MWA (control group). The overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between the 2 groups were compared. RESULTS: The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 95.3%, 79.1%, and 58.1%, respectively, in the downstaging group and 93.0%, 81.4%, and 61.6%, respectively, in the control group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.75; 95% CI, 0.50-1.13; P = .162). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS rates were 80.2%, 50.0%, and 24.4%, respectively, in the downstaging group and 77.9%, 52.3%, and 27.9%, respectively, in the control group (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.76-1.53; P = .678). No significant differences were found in OS and DFS. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term prognosis in patients with HCC who underwent MWA after downstaging to BCLC Stage A using TACE was similar to that in patients with initial BCLC Stage A.