Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the sixth most prevalent malignancy globally and represents the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality.1 Current epidemiological data indicate that the median overall survival (OS) among Chinese HCC patients is 23 months, with 5-year survival rates ranging only between 11.7% and 14.1%.2,3 According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system guidelines, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is recommended not only...
