Alteration of non-protein respiratory quotient after hepatocellular carcinoma treatment can be related to des-γ-carboxy prothrombin before treatment

Background Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that would occasionally lead to energy malnutrition through therapeutic hypoxic stress. We aimed to clarify the correlation between the energy malnutrition after TACE and low tolerability for hypoxia of non-tumoral liver before TACE.