Effects of Repeated Transcatheter Arterial Embolization in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Fifteen patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were treted repeatedly by transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) using ethiodized oil, cisplatin, and mitomycin C. The patients were not eligible for surgical resection or percutaneous ethanol injection. Eight patients had Child’s category A, 2 category B, and 5 Child’s category C. The median size of the tumors was 9.4 (range 6-15) cm. The patients who died were followed for 3-17 months after treatment. The tumor diameter was reduced to 50% in 7 of the patients ad almost completely dissappeared in 3 of them. The response rate (complete response plus partial response) was 66% in the patients treated with repeated TAE. The mean cumulative survival was 7.5 months, and 10 patients are still alive. In those patients who responded to treatment, together with improvements in clinical and radiological findings, a decline in α-fetoprotein levels has also been observed. It is concluded that repetition of TAE is an effective measure for prolonging survival time and reducing the size of tumor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.