Deterioration of liver function after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): An exploratory analysis of OPTIMIS—An international observational study assessing the use of sorafenib after TACE.

368Background: TACE is commonly used for patients (pts) with unresectable HCC, and appropriate pt selection is important to obtain optimal outcomes. However, there is no globally accepted consensus on unsuitability and refractoriness to TACE. Retrospective studies suggest that continuing TACE after refractoriness or failure is harmful and may cause pts to become ineligible for further treatments because of liver function deterioration. This exploratory analysis of OPTIMIS evaluated the real-world incidence of liver function deterioration by baseline liver characteristics after first TACE. Methods: OPTIMIS enrolled 1670 pts with HCC for whom a decision to treat with TACE was made at the time of study entry. Liver function deterioration was defined as worsening of CTCAE grade compared with baseline for any of these parameters: aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin, albumin, and prothrombin international normalized ratio (INR). All analyses are descriptive. Results...