ObjectiveTo explore the prognostic value of radiological features and serum indicators in patients treated with postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) and develop a prognostic model to predict the overall survival (OS) of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with PA-TACE.MethodWe enrolled 112 patients (75 in the training cohort and 37 in the validation cohort) with HCC treated with PA-TACE after surgical resection at the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University between January 2012 and June 2015. The independent OS predictors were determined using univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Decision curve analyses and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to verify the prognostic performance of the different models; the best model was selected to establish a multi-dimensional nomogram for predicting the OS of HCC patients treated with PA-TACE.ResultMultivariate regression analyses indicated that rim-like arterial phase enhancement (IRE), peritumor capsule (PTC), and alanine aminotransferase to hemoglobin ratio (AHR) were independent predictors of OS after PA-TACE. The combination of AHR had the best clinical net benefit and we constructed a prognostic nomogram based on IRE, PTC, and AHR. The calibration curve showed good fit between the predicted nomogram’s curve and the observed curve.ConclusionOur preliminary study confirmed the prognostic value of AHR, PTC, and IRE and established a nomogram that can predict the OS after PA-TACE treatment in patients with HCC.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.