Purpose
Guided by Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory, this study aimed to identify predictors of comfort among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after liver resection.
Methods
This cross-sectional predictive correlational study included 132 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent liver resection in Wenzhou, China. Demographic and clinical characteristics, including age, were collected. Comfort, pain severity, pain interference, perceived social support, and early mobilization were assessed using validated instruments. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the independent-samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and standard multiple linear regression.
Results
Participants reported a moderate overall level of comfort. In the multiple regression model, pain interference (β=−.25, p=.008) and perceived social support (β=.39, p<.001) were significant predictors of comfort, with perceived social support emerging as the strongest predictor. Pain severity (β=−.09, p=.287), age (β=−.09, p=.264), and early mobilization (β=.01, p=.909) were not significant predictors. The regression model was statistically significant and explained 27% of the variance in comfort (R²=.27, F=9.20, p<.001).
Conclusion
Perceived social support and pain interference were independently associated with postoperative comfort among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma following liver resection. These findings highlight the importance of comprehensive pain management and nursing strategies that strengthen social support; such interventions may help improve postoperative comfort and recovery.

Purpose
Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma may experience poor sleep quality following Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE). This study aimed to identify factors influencing sleep quality in patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization.
Methods
The study participants comprised 49 patients who underwent TACE and 45 nurses who cared for them. Patient data were collected through a face-to-face survey before and after TACE, as well as a review of electronic medical records. Data from nurses were collected using an online survey.
Results
The mean sleep quality score of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing TACE was 5.04±1.76. Sleep quality was negatively correlated with the number of antipyretics used (r=-.31, p=.029), anxiety (r=-.40, p=.004), postembolization syndrome (r=-.30, p=.034), and fatigue (r=-.63, p<.001), and positively correlated with the nurse’s perception of patient’s fatigue (r=.45, p=.001). In multiple regression analysis, fatigue (β=-.47, p=.001) and the number of antipyretics used (β=-.33, p=.005) explained 43.5% of the variance in patients’ sleep quality.
Conclusion
The sleep quality of patients undergoing TACE was found to be relatively low. Fatigue affects sleep quality, with more fatigued patients exhibiting poorer sleep quality. Therefore, nurses must pay attention to patient fatigue and anxiety and provide more comfortable nursing care.