Albumin-bilirubin score is a prognostic factor in hepatocellular carcinoma treated with transarterial radioembolization: A retrospective cohort study

Table 1 Patient cohort characteristics, median (interquartile range)/n (%)

Variable	Patients (n = 50)
Age, years	67 (60-77)
Sex (men)	41 (82)
Smoking habit
Smoker	12 (24)
Ex-smoker	27 (54)
Never smoker	11 (22)
Diabetes mellitus	23 (46)
Obesity	18 (36)
High blood pressure	27 (54)
Etiology
Viral	12 (24)
MASLD	8 (16)
Alcohol	7 (14)
MetALD	7 (14)
Alcohol + viral	8 (16)
MetALD + viral	6 (12)
Advanced chronic liver disease	42 (84)
Esophageal varices	22 (44)
Child-Pugh A	44 (86)
ALBI score - grade 1	34 (68)

MASLD: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease; MetALD: Metabolic dysfunction-associated and alcohol-related liver disease; ALBI: Albumin-bilirubin score.

Table 2 Tumor disease characteristics, median (interquartile range)/n (%)

Variable	Patients (n = 50)
Previous treatments	18 (36)
TACE	9 (18)
Systemic therapy	6 (12)
Thermal ablation	3 (6)
Hepatectomy	1 (2)
Unilobar hepatocellular carcinoma	38 (76)
Satellite nodules	16 (32)
Portal infiltration	4 (8)
Maximum diameter of the main lesion, cm	4.6 (3.5-6.6)
Number of HCC
1	26 (52)
2	7 (14)
3	8 (16)
More than 3	9 (18)
Tumor burden score1	5.5 (4-7.1)
BCLC stage
A	15 (30)
B	32 (64)
C	3 (6)
AFP < 400 ng/mL, n (%)	42 (84)

¹Tumor burden score = [(maximum tumor diameter)² + (number of tumors)²]^(1/2).

TACE: Transarterial chemoembolization; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; BCLC: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein.

Table 3 Univariate analysis of predictors of early progression, median (interquartile range)/n (%)

Variable		Early progression		P value
		Yes (n = 13)	No (n = 37)
Age, years		66 (58-71)	69 (60-77)	0.382
Sex	Men	12 (24)	29 (58)	0.25
	Women	1 (2)	8 (16)
Diabetes mellitus	No	9 (18)	18 (36)	0.17
	Yes	4 (8)	19 (38)
Obesity	No	9 (18)	23 (46)	0.458
	Yes	4 (8)	14 (28)
Arterial hypertension	No	3 (6)	20 (40)	0.053
	Yes	10 (20)	17 (34)
Viral etiology	No	8 (16)	16 (32)	0.208
	Yes	5 (10)	21 (42)
MASLD etiology	No	8 (16)	20 (40)	0.446
	Yes	5 (10)	17 (34)
Alcohol etiology	No	8 (16)	14 (28)	0.124
	Yes	5 (10)	23 (46)
Advanced chronic liver disease	No	2 (4)	6 (12)	0.659
	Yes	11 (22)	31 (62)
ALBI score	1	6 (12)	28 (56)	0.055
	2	7 (14)	9 (18)
Child-Pugh	A5	7 (14)	26 (52)	0.322
	A6	3 (6)	7 (14)
	B7	3 (6)	4 (8)
Unilobar HCC	No	4 (8)	29 (58)	0.376
	Yes	9 (18)	8 (16)
Satellite nodules	No	7 (14)	27 (54)	0.176
	Yes	6 (12)	10 (20)
Tumor burden score1		4.92 (3.93-6.10)	6.26 (4.08-7.52)	0.241
BCLC stage	A	4 (8)	11 (22)	0.949
	B	8 (16)	24 (48)
	C	1 (2)	2 (4)
AFP < 400 ng/mL	No	11 (22)	31 (62)	0.659
	Yes	2 (4)	6 (12)
Sample division	Before January 2022	9 (18)	11 (22)	0.015
	After January 2022	4 (8)	26 (52)

¹Tumor burden score = [(maximum tumor diameter)² + (number of tumors)²]^(1/2).

Early progression was more frequent in procedures performed before January 2022 (9/20 vs 4/30), with a relative risk of 1.58 (95% confidence interval: 1.04-2.40; P = 0.015). No statistically significant associations were observed between baseline variables and early progression. MASLD: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease; ALBI: Albumin-bilirubin; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; BCLC: Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer; AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein.