Clinical Profile of Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Referred for Transarterial Chemoembolization at a Tertiary Center.

[BACKGROUND] Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. It is strongly associated with chronic liver diseases such as viral hepatitis, alcohol-related liver disease, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is indicated for intermediate-stage HCC and may be used for downstaging, bridging to liver transplantation, or palliative treatment.

[METHODS] This cross-sectional observational study evaluated patients with HCC referred for TACE at the University Hospital of Campinas between 2022 and 2023, who underwent the procedure until 2024. Demographic data, liver disease etiology, laboratory findings, tumor staging (Child-Pugh, BCLC, and MELD), transplant listing status, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, and tumor characteristics were analyzed.

[RESULTS] A total of 158 patients were included, with a mean age of 64 years and male predominance (77.85%). Hepatitis C virus infection was the most frequent etiology (31%), followed by alcohol-related liver disease (20.9%) and combined HCV and alcohol use (17%). TACE was performed in 100 patients, mainly for downstaging (37.3%) and prevention of transplant waiting-list dropout (32.3%). Half of the patients presented with a single tumor nodule, with a mean lesion size of 3.8 cm. The mean MELD score was 12.5 and AFP levels showed wide variability.

[CONCLUSION] The study population demonstrated an epidemiological profile consistent with the literature. TACE was widely used as an effective strategy for tumor control in liver transplant candidates, highlighting its importance in the management of HCC in the Brazilian clinical setting.