Key clinical point: Transplant waitlist mortality and dropout rates were not significantly different between patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who received transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and those who received radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
Major finding: TACE and RFA were associated with a comparable 5-year cumulative incidence of mortality or dropout in patients both within (13.4% and 12.9%, respectively; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.91; 95% CI 0.79-1.03) and outside (19.2% and 19.0%, respectively; aHR 1.29; 95% CI 0.79-2.09) the Milan criteria.
Study details: This retrospective study analyzed the data of 11,824 patients with HCC (within and outside the Milan criteria) from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients who underwent RFA (n = 2449) or TACE (n = 9375).
Disclosures: This study was funded by the US National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Kolarich AR et al. Radiofrequency ablation versus trans-arterial chemoembolization in patients with HCC awaiting liver transplant: An analysis of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2022 Jun 28. Doi: 10.1016/j.jvir.2022.06.016