Single medium-sized hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sequential conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) and microwave ablation at 4 weeks versus cTACE alone: a propensity score

Table 3 Local tumor response

	Before PSM, n (%)		cTACE+MWA	p	After PSM, n (%)		cTACE+MWA	p
	Total	cTACE	cTACE+MWA	p	Total	cTACE	cTACE+MWA	p
1 month
Patient, n	90	58	32		42	21	21
CR	62 (68.9)	32 (55.2)	30 (93.8)	0.001	33 (78.6)	13 (61.9)	20 (95.2)	0.02
PR	13 (14.4)	12 (20.7)	1 (3.1)	0.028	2 (4.8)	1 (4.8)	1 (4.8)	1
SD	10 (11.1)	9 (15.5)	1 (3.1)	0.09	5 (11.9)	5 (23.8)	0 (0)	0.048
PD	5 (5.6)	5 (8.6)	0 (0)	0.156	2 (4.8)	2 (9.5)	0 (0)	0.488
ORR	75 (83.3)	44 (75.9)	31 (96.9)	0.152	35 (83.3)	14 (66.7)	21 (100)	0.009
DCR	85 (94.4)	53 (91.4)	32 (100)	0.416	40 (95.2)	19 (90.5)	21 (100)	0.488
6 months
CR	58 (64.4)	31 (53.4)	27 (84.4)	0.007	31 (73.8)	12 (57.1)	19 (90.5)	0.035
PR	5 (5.6)	2 (3.4)	3 (9.4)	0.343	2 (4.8)	1 (4.8)	1 (4.8)	1
SD	3 (3.3)	3 (5.2)	0 (0)	0.55	1 (2.4)	1 (4.8)	0 (0)	1
PD	24 (26.7)	22 (37.9)	2 (6.2)	0.003	8 (19.0)	7 (33.3)	1 (4.8)	0.045
ORR	63 (70.0)	33 (56.9)	30 (93.8)	0.001	33 (78.6)	13 (61.9)	20 (95.2)	0.02
DCR	66 (73.3)	36 (62.1)	30 (93.8)	0.003	34 (81.0)	14 (66.7)	20 (95.2)	0.045

Abbreviations: CR complete response, PR partial response, SD stable disease, PD progressive disease, ORR complete response + partial response, DCR ORR + stable disease

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