Huma Hussain, Ahmed Zia-ud Din, Abdullah Saeed, Muhammad Junaid Tahir, Sadia Abdullah.
Analysis of the Outcomes of Transarterial Chemoembolization as a Bridge Therapy to Liver Transplant for Hepatocellular Carcinomas: a Single-Centered Retrospective Study.
J Sharif Med Dent Coll Jan ;8(2):81-7.

Objective: To determine the outcomes of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) as a bridging therapy to liver transplant for Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC) stage A hepatocellular carcinoma. Methodology: This retrospective study comprised data of 40 patients with BCLC stage A hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received TACE as a bridge therapy prior to liver transplant from January 2022 to June 2022. Tumor response to TACE was assessed on imaging based on modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (mRECIST). All the descriptive statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results: In this study, the mean age of included patients was 56.68+/-7.17 years. The mean pre-TACE tumor size was calculated as 3.56+/-10.69 cm. Post-TACE imaging response showed complete response in 13 patients, partial response in 11 patients, and progressive disease in 7 patients. Of the 40 patients, 4(10%) patients were dropouts from waiting list, 6(15%) individuals underwent liver transplant (LT) after bridging TACE, 1(2.5%) patient opted for hepatic wedge resection for HCC instead of LT, and 7(17.5%) patients were lost to follow-up. Twenty two (55%) patients were still in waiting list (mean waiting time=273+/-30 days) for LT. Conclusion: Transarterial chemoembolization as a bridge therapy prior to LT for early stage HCC has beneficial results and reduces dropout rates during waiting time. Keywords: Liver transplant. Hepatocellular carcinoma. Transarterial chemoembolization.

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