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

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. We explored the factors influencing PES in patients with HCC undergoing TACE for the first time. The present study was a hospital-based study conducted in the tertiary care hospital of Guangzhou with a retrospective study design. 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. 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. 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). Drug loading microspheres, serum albumin, and drug loading were the predictors of PES after the first TACE.

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