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Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 28, 2026; 32(24): 116003
Published online Jun 28, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i24.116003
Assessment of the value of complication risk prediction models following interventional therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in nursing decision-making
Hui Wang, Hao-Tian Guo, Jing Shen, Fei Zhang, Yue-Jiao Jiang, Zhen-Xing Liu
Hui Wang, Hao-Tian Guo, Jing Shen, Fei Zhang, Yue-Jiao Jiang, Zhen-Xing Liu, Department of Oncology and Vascular Interventional Therapy, Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Taiyuan 030012, Shanxi Province, China
Author contributions: Wang H, Guo HT, and Shen J designed the research study, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; Zhang F, Jiang YJ and Liu ZX contributed new reagents and analytic tools; Wang H, Guo HT, Shen J, Zhang F, Jiang YJ and Liu ZX performed the research; all authors have read and approve the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: This study utilized DeepL for language polishing. Neither the entirety nor any portion of the main text of the manuscript (Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion) was generated by AI tools.
Institutional review board statement: The research was reviewed and approved by Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, No. 2024-730.
Informed consent statement: All participants provided informed consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Data sharing statement: No other data available.
Corresponding author: Hui Wang, Chief Nurse, Department of Oncology and Vascular Interventional Therapy, Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, No. 29 Shuangta Temple Street, Taiyuan 030012, Shanxi Province, China. 13803435846@163.com
Received: January 13, 2026
Revised: February 5, 2026
Accepted: March 23, 2026
Published online: June 28, 2026
Processing time: 145 Days and 2.1 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a primary interventional modality for intermediate-to-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the high incidence of post-procedural complications significantly compromises patient recovery and prognosis. Currently, clinical nursing assessment lacks a multifaceted risk prediction tool that integrates multiple risk factors.

AIM

To establish a predictive model for postoperative complications in patients with HCC undergoing TACE.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 386 patients with HCC who underwent interventional therapy at our hospital from January 2023 to December 2024. Patients were divided into a complication group (n = 104) and a control group (n = 282) based on postoperative complication occurrence. General clinical data and nursing-related indicators were collected and compared between groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors, construct a risk prediction model, and validate its discriminatory power and calibration by using receiver operating characteristic curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test.

RESULTS

The incidence of complications following interventional therapy for HCC in this study was 26.94%. Factors associated with complications included age ≥ 60 years, liver cirrhosis, vascular invasion, procedure duration ≥ 2 hours, TACE sessions > 2, Child-Pugh grade B, tumor diameter ≥ 5 cm, nutritional risk (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 ≥ 3), anxiety (Self-Rating Anxiety Scale ≥ 50), depression (Self-Rating Depression Scale ≥ 53), caregiver burden (high Zarit Burden Interview Score), functional independence (low Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale Score), quality of life (low Quality of Life Instruments for Cancer Patients - General Module Score), and low compliance with early postoperative activity and exercise were all independent risk factors (P < 0.05). The predictive model demonstrated a C-index of 0.773, an area under the curve of 0.936, sensitivity of 93.25%, specificity of 84.96%, and good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P = 0.382).

CONCLUSION

The TACE postoperative complication prediction model derived during the research combines multidimensional clinical and nursing predictors, which proves a high predictive quality and clinical usefulness. It provides healthcare professionals with a scientifically grounded assessment tool to facilitate risk stratification management and precision nursing.

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Interventional therapy; Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization; Complication risk; Risk prediction model; Nursing decision-making

Core Tip: This study developed and validated a multidimensional integrated model for predicting the risk of complications following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. By innovatively incorporating clinical characteristics and procedural parameters with nursing-specific indicators including psychological status, nutrition, and self-care capacity, the model achieved high predictive accuracy (area under the curve = 0.936). The model offers nurses a logical and user-friendly decision-support model that helps them to predict complications early and accurately distribute nursing resources.

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