Retrospective Analysis of the Clinical Efficacy, Safety, and Influencing Factors of Drug-Eluting Bead Transarterial Chemoembolization for Unresectable Hepatic Malignancies

Background: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an established therapeutic modality for malignant hepatic tumors. This study assessed the clinical efficacy, adverse events, and factors associated with treatment outcomes of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) in the treatment of hepatic malignancies. Methods: Clinical data were collected from 94 patients with hepatic malignancies who underwent DEB-TACE. Treatment response was assessed in accordance with the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST). Postoperative complications and relevant hematological parameters were analyzed by reviewing clinical symptoms and laboratory/examination findings. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with treatment outcomes. Results: Median follow-up duration was 29.0 months (range: 3.0-51.0 months). Treatment response assessment post-DEB-TACE revealed that 2 patients (2.1%) achieved a complete response (CR), 53 (56.4%) achieved a partial response (PR), 27 (28.7%) had stable disease (SD), and 12 (12.8%) developed progressive disease (PD). The overall objective response rate (ORR) was 58.5%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 87.2%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.7-6.3 months), and median overall survival (OS) was 15.0 months (95% CI: 7.6-22.4 months). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that hematological parameters—including D-dimer levels, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels—were associated with patient prognosis and survival outcomes. Conclusions: Drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization is an effective treatment for various liver malignancies, associated with few manageable postoperative complications. In addition, d-dimer, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels may predict DEB-TACE efficacy.