Factors influencing postembolization syndrome in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing first transcatheter arterial chemoembolization

• Published in: Journal of cancer research and therapeutics Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 777 - 783
• Main Authors: He, Jing-Jing, Yin, Xi-Xi, Wang, Ting, Chen, Min-Ying, Li, Xi-Long, Yang, Xin-Jing, Shao, Hong-Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.07.2021; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd
• Subjects: Abdominal Pain - epidemiology; Abdominal Pain - etiology; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Agents - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Cancer; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - blood; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - therapy; Care and treatment; Chemoembolization; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic - adverse effects; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic - methods; Complications and side effects; Evaluation; Female; Femoral Artery - surgery; Fever - epidemiology; Fever - etiology; Health risk assessment; Hepatoma; Humans; Liver - blood supply; Liver - pathology; Liver cancer; Liver Neoplasms - blood; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Male; Microspheres; Middle Aged; Nausea - epidemiology; Nausea - etiology; Oncology, Experimental; Particle Size; Postoperative Complications - epidemiology; Postoperative Complications - etiology; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Serum Albumin, Human - analysis; Syndrome; Therapeutic chemoembolization; Vomiting - epidemiology; Vomiting - etiology; Young Adult; China; Hepatocellular carcinoma; postembolization syndrome; transcatheter arterial chemoembolization
• ISSN: 0973-1482; 1998-4138; 1998-4138
• DOI: 10.4103/jcrt.jcrt_132_21

Context: Postembolization syndrome (PES) is the most common complication in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who had undergone transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). PES was defined as fever, nausea and/or vomiting, and abdominal pain and these symptoms develop within 1-3 days after TACE. However, few studies have explored the factors influencing PES in patients with TACE for the first time. Aims: We explored the factors influencing PES in patients with HCC undergoing TACE for the first time. Settings and Design: The present study was a hospital-based study conducted in the tertiary care hospital of Guangzhou with a retrospective study design. Subjects and Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, a total of 242 patients with HCC were included in the first TACE program between November 1, 2018 and November 31, 2019. Statistical Analysis Used: T-test and Chi-square test revealed the factors affecting the occurrence of PES. Correlation analysis (Spearman) explored the relationship between these factors and PES. Binary logistics analyzed the predictive factors of PES. Results: The probability of PES in patients with HCC undergoing TACE for the first time was 55.45%. Types of embolic agents (r = 0.296), types of microspheres (r = 0.510), number of microspheres (r = 0.130), maximum diameter of microspheres used (r = 0.429), type of drug (r = 0.406), and drug loading (r = 0.433) were positively correlated with PES (P < 0.05). Serum albumin was negatively correlated with PES (P = 0.008, r = −0.170). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that drug loading microspheres (odds ratio [OR] = 0.075, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.031-0.180) and serum albumin (OR = 0.182, 95% CI = 0.068-0.487) were the protective factors influencing PES, while drug loading was the risk factor of PES (OR = 1.407, 95% CI = 1.144-1.173). Conclusions: Drug loading microspheres, serum albumin, and drug loading were the predictors of PES after the first TACE.