Prognostic role of vascular endothelial growth factor and hypoxia inducible factor in HCC patients after conventional and DEB-mediated chemoembolization

Introduction/aims: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the conventional treatment for the BCLC “intermediate” stage HCC. TACE treatment prompts a neo-angiogenic reaction to ischemia that probably affects its impact. Our study sought significant differences, if any, in the levels of two circulating markers of neo-angiogenesis, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF), after conventional TACE...