ALBI and P-ALBI grade in Child-Pugh A patients treated with drug eluting embolic chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Treatment outcome for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is related to tumor burden and liver function. Grading systems assessing liver function need validation in different clinical settings. Purpose To evaluate drug-eluting embolic transarterial chemoembolization (DEE-TACE) in Child–Pugh A HCC with respect to albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) and platelet-albumin-bilirubin (P-ALBI) grade. Material and Methods Forty-nine patients with Child–Pugh class A, diagnosed with HCC and allocated to DEE-TACE treatment, were retrospectively analyzed regarding tumor and treatment characteristics, radiological response (mRECIST) one month post treatment, overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs; CTCAE, grades ≥3) with respect to ALBI and P-ALBI grade. Results There were 21 ALBI 1 patients, 29 P-ALBI 1 patients, and 19 patients were both ALBI and P-ALBI 1. Objective response rate was 74% with no statistically significant difference for ALBI (1 vs. 2; P = 0.08), or P-ALBI (1 vs. 2; P = 0.49). OS was 14.8 months (range = 1.7–62.0; ALBI 1 vs. 2: P = 0.08; P-ALBI 1 vs. 2: P = 0.003). OS in responders with ALBI 1 and 2 was 28.9 vs.10.2 months ( P = 0.02), and P-ALBI 1 and 2 was 26.7 vs. 8.6 months ( P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, both ALBI 2 (HR = 2.4, P = 0.02) and P-ALBI 2 (HR = 3.3, P < 0.01) were negative prognostic factors for survival. There were 15 AEs in 13 patients, with hepatic failure only occurring in ALBI 2 and P-ALBI 2 patients. Conclusion P-ALBI grade 1 and 2 differentiated survival in Child–Pugh A patients treated with DEE-TACE. Both grading systems can differentiate survival in patients responding to treatment.