Abstract: Objective To observe the effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) on serum tumor markers and recurrence risk after radical resection of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods A total of 65 patients with HCC who underwent radical resection in Bozhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March 2016 to October 2019 were divided into observation group (33 cases) and control group (32 cases) by random number table method. Both groups received TACE treatment after radical resection, the observation group received TACE treatment 4 weeks after surgery, the control group received TACE treatment 8~12 weeks after surgery. Both groups received the second treatment 4 weeks after the first TACE treatment. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) were detected. Postoperative complications and intrahepatic recurrence rates were compared between the two groups. Results At baseline, CEA was (26.63±5.19) ng/mL and (25.48±4.03) ng/mL, AFP was (84.39±8.61) μg/L and (85.52±9.36) μg/L, CA199 was (81.06±7.93) U/L and (80.54±6.68) U/L, respectively. There was no significant difference in CEA, AFP and CA199 between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, CEA was (4.13±0.72) ng/mL, (6.18±0.95) ng/mL, AFP was (16.28±3.65) μg/L, (24.97±5.14) μg/L, respectively. The CA199 levels of the two groups were (23.74±4.16) U/L and (28.09±5.52) U/L, respectively, which were lower in the observation group (P<0.05). The 1-year recurrence rates of the two groups were 15.15% and 37.50%, the 2-year recurrence rates were 27.27% and 53.13%, and the 3-year recurrence rates were 51.52% and 71.88%, respectively. The 1-year and 2-year recurrence rates of the observation group were lower (P<0.05). In the observation group, there were 2 cases (6.06%) with bone marrow suppression, 15 cases (45.45%) with liver function impairment, 9 cases (27.27%) with fever, 12 cases (36.36%) with upper abdominal pain, and 7 cases (21.21%) with digestive tract symptoms. In the control group, there were 3 cases with bone marrow suppression (9.38%), 13 cases with liver function impairment (40.63%), 6 cases with fever (18.75%), 10 cases with upper abdominal pain (31.25%) and 8 cases with digestive tract symptoms (25.00%). There were no significant differences in the incidence of complications (P>0.05). Conclusion TACE 4 weeks after radical resection of HCC is safe, and is beneficial to down-regulate the levels of serum tumor markers such as CEA, AFP and CA199. It reduces the recurrence rate within 2 years after surgery, with no significant effect on the recurrence rate after 2 years.

Key words: Primary hepatocellular carcinoma, Radical resection, Hepatic artery interventional chemoembolization, Tumor markers, Intrahepatic recurrence