Prognostic Significance of Alpha-fetoprotein Status in the Outcome of Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Treatment of Transarterial Chemoembolization

Background

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has been used as a diagnostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its prognostic significance is not well defined. This study was performed to classify the prognostic significance of AFP status in HCC patients after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods

Four hundred forty-one HCC patients from a prospective maintained database with pathologic confirmation including 139 with normal AFP levels and 302 with elevated AFP levels were retrospectively studied for prognostic significance of AFP in treatment response and survival after TACE. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the prognostic factors.

Results

There were significant differences in overall survival (OS) after TACE between AFP-negative and AFP-positive HCC patients when the AFP cutoff value was defined as 20?ng/ml (P?P?=?0.093). Multivariate analysis revealed that AFP status for AFP-negative or positive was an independent prognostic factor for HCC patients after TACE (P?=?0.001), along with ??-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level (P?=?0.004) and tumor diameter (P?Conclusions Compared with AFP-positive HCC patients, patients with AFP-negative status have a better treatment response and prognosis after TACE.