"Six-and-Twelve" Prognostic Score in Transarterial Chemoembolization-Treated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

This study aimed to evaluate the overall survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients who qualify for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) using the "six-and-twelve" prognostic score. The research was conducted on a patient cohort between 2009 and 2019.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted, involving patients diagnosed with unresectable hepatocarcinoma, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging A or B, and Child-Pugh staging A or B. Exclusion criteria included patients with spontaneous tumor rupture, other neoplasms, decompensated liver cirrhosis, and a lack of reference images. The study assessed the size of the largest nodule and the number of tumors based on imaging studies. Overall survival was defined as the time from initial TACE to death from any cause, with telephonic follow-up conducted. Patients were categorized into three groups based on tumor burden: ≤6, >6-≤12, and >12. Mortality rates at 12, 24, and 36 months were compared using the chi-square test for categorical variables and the ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests for continuous variables, depending on their distribution.

A total of 90 patients were included in the study, with a median age of 69 years (interquartile range (IQR): 62-77). Among the patients, 61.1% had a tumor burden of six or less. The overall survival rate was found to have a median of 28.4 months (IQR: 26.3-30.5), with survival rates at one, two, and three years being 84.7%, 55.2%, and 29.4%, respectively. It was observed that mortality increased in proportion to tumor burden, and this difference was statistically significant.

The use of tumor burden, with cut-off points of six and 12, as a prognostic score proved to be a valuable tool for predicting mortality in the studied cohort.