Transarterial chemoembolization for inoperable,early stage hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with Child-Pugh grade A and B: results of a comparative study in 96 Chinese patients

OBJECTIVE: The efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in prolongation of survival is controversial. We conducted a comparative study to determine whether TACE treatment had any survival benefit for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and with relatively preserved liver function. METHODS: In all, 96 patients with unresectable HCC of Okuda stage I or II and Child-Pugh grade A or B were recruited. A total of 80 patients (group 1) who received TACE were compared to 16 patients (group 2) who were treated conservatively. RESULTS: The median survival time of group 1 patients was significantly longer than that of group 2 patients (31.2 vs 14.1 months respectively, p = 0.0126). The cumulative survival rates at 6 months, 1 yr, 2 yr, 3 yr, and 4 yr of group 1 compared to group 2 were as follows: 93.8% versus 62.5% (p = 0.002); 86.3% versus 62.5% (p = 0.023); 78.8% versus 50% (p = 0.017); 57.5% versus 50% (p = ns); and 51.3% versus 43.8% (p = ns), respectively. Tumor response was observed in 28% of patients receiving TACE. Patients with higher pretreatment albumin levels, lower pretreatment alpha-fetoprotein levels, and Okuda stage I disease were associated with a favorable response to TACE. CONCLUSION: TACE treatment improved survival in patients with unresectable HCC in the early stages and with relatively preserved liver function.     

Comparison between chemoembolization combined with radiotherapy and chemoembolization alone for large hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiotherapy for unresectable large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: From June 1994 to June 1999, a total of 76 patients with large unresectable HCC were treated with TACE followed by external-beam irradiation. 89 patients with large HCC, who underwent TACE alone during the same period, served as the control group. Clinical features, therapeutic modalities, acute effects and survival rates were analyzed and compared between TACE plus irradiation group and TACE alone group. A multivariate analysis of nine clinical variables and one treatment variable (irradiation) was performed by the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The clinical features and therapeutic modalities except irradiation between the two groups were comparable (P>0.05). The objective response rate (RR) in TACE plus irradiation group was higher than that in TACE alone group (47.4 % vs 28.1 %, P<0.05). The overall survival rates in TACE plus irradiation group (64.0 %, 28.6 %, and 19.3 % at 1, 3, 5 years, respectively) were significantly higher than those in TACE alone group (39.9 %, 9.5 %, and 7.2 %, respectively, P=0.0001). Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed that tumor extension and Child grade were significant and were independent negative predictors of survival, while irradiation was an independent positive predictor of survival. CONCLUSION: TACE combined with radiotherapy is more effective than TACE alone, and is a promising treatment for unresectable large HCC.     

Sequential use of transarterial chemoembolization and percutaneous cryosurgery for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM： To evaluate the efficacy of sequential use of transarterial chemoembolization （TACE） and percutaneous cryosurgery for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS： Four hundred and twenty patients were enrolled in this study. The patients, who were considered to have unresectable tumors due to their location or size or comorbidity, were divided into sequential TACE-cryosurgery （sequential） group （n = 290） and cryosurgery alone （cryoalone） group （n = 130）. Patients in the sequential group tended to have larger tumors and a greater number of tumors than those in the cryo-alone group. Tumors larger than 10 cm in diameter were only seen in the sequential group. TACE was performed with the routine technique and percutaneous cryosurgery was conducted under the guidance of ultrasound 2-4 wk after TACE. RESULTS： During a mean follow-up period of 42 ± 17 mo （range, 24-70 mo）, the local recurrence rate at the ablated area was 17% for all patients, 11% and 23% for patients in sequential group and cryoalone groups, respectively （P = 0.001）. The overall 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year survival rate was 72%, 57%, 47%, 39% and 31%, respectively. The 1- and 2-year survival rates （71% and 61%） in sequential group were similar to those （73% and 54%） in cryo-alone group （P = 0.69 and 0.147）, while the 4- and 5-year survival rates were 49% and 39% in sequential group, higher than those （29% and 23%） in cryo-alone group （P = 0.001）. Eighteen patients with large HCC （〉 5 cm in diameter） survived for more than 5 years after sequential TACE while no patient with large HCC （〉 5 cm in diameter） survived more than 5 years after cryosurgery. The overall complication rate was 24%, and the complication rates were 21% and 26% for the sequential and cryo-alone groups, respectively （P = 0.06）. The incidence of hepatic bleeding was higher in cryo-alone group than in sequential group （P = 0.02）. Liver crack only occurred in two patients of the cryoalone group. CONCLUSION： Pre-cryosurgical TACE can increase the cryoablation efficacy and decrease its adverse effects, especially bleeding. Sequential TACE and cryosurgery may be the better procedure for unresectable HCC, especially for large HCC.     

经动脉化学栓塞和经皮冷冻序贯治疗肝细胞癌

目的 评价经动脉化学栓塞(TACE)和经皮冷冻序贯治疗无法切除的肝细胞肝癌(HCC)的疗效.方法 将420例无法手术切除的HCC患者分为TACE-冷冻序贯治疗组290例(序贯组)和单纯冷冻组130例(冷冻组).TACE按常规操作,术后2～4周行经皮冷冻治疗.1个月及以后每2～3个月随访1次,包括肝脏超声和(或)腹部CT,并检测血清甲胎蛋白(AFP).结果 平均随访(42±17)个月(范围24～70个月),所有患者消融灶局部复发率为17%,序贯组和冷冻组分别为11%和24%(P=0.001).1、2、3、4和5年平均存活率分别为72%、57%、47%、39%和31%.序贯组1年和2年存活率(71%和61%)与冷冻组(73%和54%)相似(P值分别=0.69和0.147);而4年和5年存活率,序贯组(49%和39%)高于冷冻组(21%和23%,P=0.001).序贯组有18例肿瘤直径＞5cm的患者存活逾5年,而冷冻组无一例.全组并发症发生率为24%,序贯组和冷冻组分别为21%和26%(P=0.06).冷冻组肝出血的发生率显著高于序贯组(P=0.02),且有2例发生肝破裂.结论 冷冻治疗前先行TACE能提高冷冻消融的疗效,减少其并发症,特别是肝出血.TACE和冷冻序贯疗法可能是治疗不能切除性HCC,特别是大肝癌的较好方法 .     

Milan criteria are useful predictors for favorable outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing liver transplantation after transarterial chemoembolization

INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global health problem involving more than 500 000 new cases a year. Several treatment modalities, such as liver transplantation (LT), surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and percutaneou…     

Combination therapy with transarterial chemoembolization and interferon-α compared with transarterial chemoembolization alone for hepatitis B virus related unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Background and Aims:  The present study was carried out to test the hypothesis that interferon-α (IFN-α) treatment would reduce or postpone the recurrence rate and improve the overall survival rate in patients after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) related unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods:  216 patients with unresectable HBV-related HCC were randomized into a TACE group and a TACE-IFN group, each group had 108 patients. In the TACE-IFN group, patients received IFN-α1b at a dose of 3 million units (mu) three times a week by intramuscular injection one week after/before TACE treatment, for 48 weeks.
Results:  The median disease-free survival in the TACE-IFN treatment group was 23.6 months (95% CI: 21.4–25.8) and 20.3 months (95% CI: 15.8–24.8) in the TACE group ( P  = 0.027). The disease free rate at 24 months in the TACE group was lower than in the TACE-IFN group (39.8% vs 59.3%, P  = 0.004). The median overall survival was 29 months (95% CI: 27.5–32.1) in the TACE-IFN group and 26 months (95% CI: 20.1–31.9) in the TACE group ( P  = 0.003). The 2-year overall survival in the TACE-IFN group was higher than in the TACE group (72.2% vs 52.8%, P  = 0.003).
Conclusions:  IFN-α treatment reduced recurrence and improved the survival of patients after TACE treatment of HBV-related HCC, with acceptable toxicities.     

介入治疗结合大分割三维适形放射治疗原发性肝癌的疗效评价

目的　评价肝动脉化疗栓塞 (TACE)结合大分割三维适形放射治疗 (3 DCRT)肝细胞癌(HCC)的疗效。方法　 1 998年 5月至 1 999年 1 2月 ,81例不能手术切除的HCC患者 ,采用非随机分组方法 ,综合治疗组 4 1例采用TACE结合大分割 3 DCRT ,对照组 4 0例单独行TACE治疗 ,观察近期疗效 ,生存分析用Kaplan Meier法 ,两组生存率比较采用Log rank检验 ,综合治疗组多因素分析采用Cox比例风险模型。结果　综合治疗组和对照组肿瘤缓解率分别为 85 .4 %和 6 5 .0 % (P <0 .0 5 ) ,1、2、3年生存率分别为 90 .2 %、75 .6 %、4 4 .6 %和 89.7%、5 8.7%、2 4 .0 % ,两组生存率比较差异有显著性 (P=0 .0 4 39)。两组中位生存期分别为 36和 2 7个月。综合治疗组中 ,Child分级、临床分期及肿瘤直径是影响预后的主要因素 (P <0 .0 5 )。结论　综合治疗组较对照组有较好的疗效。综合治疗组中Child分级、临床分期、肿瘤直径对患者的预后有重要影响     

Supportive treatment, resection and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in resectable hepatocellular carcinoma: an analysis of survival in 419 patients.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Both surgical resection and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) are effective treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Few reports have compared the different treatment modalities for resectable HCC based on clinically matched groups. The aim of this study was to compare the survival rate after surgery, TACE or supportive treatment in resectable HCC patients, and also in elderly patients (> or = 70 y/o). METHODS: From 1984 to 1993, 419 consecutive patients with resectable HCC were included in this study. Of these, 311 (74%) underwent resection of tumours and 46 (11%) refused operation, opting instead for TACE. The remaining 62 (15%) who refused both methods of treatment were given supportive care. Univariate and multivariate analyses for prognostic factors and the 5-year survival rate among the groups were studied. RESULTS: Both surgical resection and TACE groups had a better 5-year survival rate than the supportive treatment group (43% and 34% vs. 7%). There was no difference in survival between the surgery and TACE groups. However, the 5-year survival rate was 11% in TACE and 41% in the surgical group when the patients were > or = 70. In multivariate analysis, female sex (P = 0.0466), tumour size < or = 3 cm (P = 0.0001), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) < 400 U/l (P = 0.0036), single tumour (P = 0.0474), serum creatinine < or = 1.5 mg/dl (P = 0.0006) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) < or = 100 U/l (P = 0.0007) are associated with good prognosis for resectable HCC. CONCLUSION: TACE is an alternative for resectable HCC. Tumour size, tumour number, AFP level, renal function, AP level and female sex are prognostic factors. In elderly people, TACE must be used prudently and has a worse prognosis.     

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a case-controlled study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) currently is used as a palliative treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its efficacy still is debated. Our aim was to assess the impact of TACE on patient survival and to identify prognostic factors for survival. METHODS: Fifty-six cirrhotic patients with unresectable HCC undergoing at least 1 course of TACE were matched 1:1 for sex, age (in 5-year periods), parameters of Child-Pugh score, Okuda stage, and tumor type with a control group who had received only supportive care. RESULTS: The 2 groups were comparable for cause of cirrhosis, alpha-fetoprotein serum levels, and Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) score. The 56 patients in the TACE group received a total of 123 treatment courses. The median follow-up period was 16 months (range, 1-67 mo) in the TACE group and 5 months (range, 1-77 mo) in the supportive care group. Survival rates at 12, 24, and 30 months in patients receiving TACE were 74.3%, 52.1%, and 38.8%, respectively, with a median survival time of 25 months, whereas in supportive care patients the rates were 39.4%, 25.4%, and 19%, respectively, with a median survival time of 7 months (P = .0004). At univariate analysis, TACE, tumor type, presence of ascites, alpha-fetoprotein serum level, CLIP score, and Okuda stage were associated significantly with survival. Only TACE and CLIP score proved to be independent predictors of survival at multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: TACE is an effective therapeutic option for cirrhotic patients with unresectable HCC and a CLIP score of 3 or less.     

Reappraisal of repeated transarterial chemoembolization in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein invasion

Background and Aim:  This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of repeated transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with additional radiation therapy (RT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein (PV) invasion.
Methods:  We performed survival analysis of consecutive HCC patients with PV invasion according to the treatment modalities after stratification by the degree of PV invasion and liver function retrospectively.
Results:  During 2005, 281 patients were newly diagnosed to have HCC with PV invasion at our institution. Repeated TACE or transarterial chemoinfusion (TACI) was performed in 202 (71.9%) patients and additional RT was performed for PV invasion in 43 of them. A total of 281 patients had a median survival of 5.2 months and a 2-year survival rate (YSR) of 19.2%. Repeated TACE showed significant survival benefits compared with conservative management in patients with PV branch invasion; median survival and 2-YSR was 10.2 vs 2.3 months and 33.7% vs 0% in Child–Pugh A categorized patients and 5.5 vs 1.3 months and 10.3 vs 0% in Child–Pugh B categorized patients, respectively ( P  < 0.001). In patients with PV branch invasion, the survival rate was significantly longer with TACE/TACI plus RT than with TACE/TACI alone both in Child–Pugh A categorized patients (1-YSR: 63.6 vs 35.6%, P  = 0.031) and Child–Pugh B categorized patients (1-YSR: 66.7 vs 7.7%, P  = 0.007). Repeated TACE was well tolerated in our patients, with only one dying within one month after TACE.
Conclusion:  Repeated TACE with additional RT can be performed safely and showed a significant survival benefit in HCC patients with PV branch invasion with conserved liver function.     

Combined endovascular brachytherapy,sorafenib, and transarterial chemobolization therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients with portal vein tumor thrombus

AIM To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined endovascular brachytherapy(EVBT),transarterial chemoembolization(TACE),and sorafenib to treat hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) patients with main portal vein tumor thrombus(MPVTT).METHODS This single-center retrospective study involved 68 patients with unresectable HCC or those who were unfit for liver transplantation and percutaneous frequency ablation according to the BCLC classification. All patients had Child-Pugh classification grade A or B,Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG)performance status of 0-2,and MPVTT. The patients received either EVBT with stent placement,TACE,and sorafenib(group A,n = 37),or TACE with sorafenib(group B,n = 31). The time to progression(TTP) and overall survival(OS) were evaluated by propensity score analysis.RESULTS In the entire cohort,the 6-,12-,and 24-mo survival rates were 88.9%,54.3%,and 14.1% in group A,and 45.8%,0%,and 0% in group B,respectively(P 0.001). The median TTP and OS were significantly longer in group A than group B(TTP: 9.0 mo vs 3.4 mo,P 0.001; OS: 12.3 mo vs 5.2 mo,P 0.001). In the propensity score-matched cohort,the median OS was longer in group A than in group B(10.3 mo vs 6.0 mo,P 0.001). Similarly,the median TTP was longer in group A than in group B(9.0 mo vs 3.4 mo,P 0.001). Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that the EVBT combined with stent placement,TACE,and sorafenib strategy was an independent predictor of favorable OS(HR = 0.18,P 0.001). CONCLUSION EVBT combined with stent placement,TACE,and sorafenib might be a safe and effective palliative treatment option for MPVTT.     

Portal Vein Embolization can Prevent Intrahepatic Metastases to Non-Embolized Liver

Background/Aims: To determine the efficacy of portal vein embolization (PVE) against unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methodology: We conducted a comparative study using 17 patients with HCC determined to be unresectable and who received a combination of PVE and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) (PVE group) and 22 HCC patients with tumors in the unilateral lobe, which were treated only with repeated TACE (TACE group) from January 2000 to December 2008. Results: There were no significant differences in background factors except for gender between the two groups. The cumulative intrahepatic recurrence rates in the non-portal-embolized area (in the contralateral lobe for the TACE group) at 1 year and 3 years was 41.1% and 58.8% in the PVE group and 77.3% and 81.8% in the TACE group, respectively. The former was significantly lower (p<0.05). The cumulative overall survival rate at 1 year, 3 and 5 years was 88.2%, 38.2% and 38.2% in the PVE group, and 68.1%, 22.7% and 8.5% in the TACE group, respectively. The former was significantly higher (p<0.05). Conclusions: Although in patients with unresectable HCC, when HCC is localized in the portal-embolized area, PVE combined with TACE can prevent intrahepatic metastasis to the non-portal-embolized area and improve overall survival.     

Prospective cohort study of transarterial chemoembolization for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in 8510 patients

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To elucidate the survival of the patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent transcatheter arterial lipiodol chemoembolization (TACE) and to analyze the factors affecting the survivals. METHODS: During the last 8 years, a nationwide prospective cohort study was performed in 8510 patients with unresectable HCC who underwent TACE using emulsion of lipiodol and anticancer agents followed by gelatin sponge particles as an initial treatment. Exclusion criteria were extrahepatic metastases and/or any previous treatment prior to the present TACE. The primary end point was survival. The survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The multivariate analyses for the factors affecting survival were evaluated by the Cox proportional hazard model. The mean follow-up period was 1.77 years. RESULTS: For overall survival rates by TACE, median and 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year survivals were 34 months, 82%, 47%, 26%, and 16%, respectively. Both the degree of liver damage and the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) system proposed by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan demonstrated good stratification of survivals (P = .0001). The multivariate analyses showed significant difference in degree of liver damage (P = .0001), alpha-fetoprotein value (P = .0001), maximum tumor size (P = .0001), number of lesions (P = .0001), and portal vein invasion (P = .0001). The last 3 factors could be replaced by TNM stage. The TACE-related mortality rate after the initial therapy was .5%. CONCLUSIONS: TACE showed safe therapeutic modality with a 5-year survival of 26% for unresectable HCC patients. The degrees of liver damage, TNM stage, and alpha-fetoprotein values were independent risk factors for patient survival.     

Comparative effectiveness of traditional chemoembolization with or without sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To compare the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) with associated adverse events (AE) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) + sorafenib vs TACE alone. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study we collected data on all consecutive patients with a diagnosis of unresectable HCC between 2007 and 2011 who had been treated with TACE + sorafenib or TACE alone. We hypothesized that the combination therapy is superior to TACE alone in improving the survival in these patients. Data extracted included patient’s demographics, etiology of liver disease, histology of HCC, stage of liver disease with respect to model of end stage liverdisease score and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) classification and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging for HCC. Computed tomography scan findings, alpha fetoprotein levels, number of treatments and related AE were also recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 43 patients who met inclusion criteria, 13 were treated with TACE + sorafenib and 30 with TACE alone. There was no significant difference in median survival: 20.6 mo (95%CI: 13.4-38.4) for the TACE + sorafenib and 18.3 mo (95%CI: 11.8-32.9) for the TACE alone (P = 0.72). There were also no statistically significant differences between groups in OS (HR = 0.82, 95%CI: 0.38-1.77; P = 0.61), PFS (HR = 0.93, 95%CI: 0.45-1.89; P = 0.83), and treatment-related toxicities (P = 0.554). CTP classification and BCLC staging for HCC were statistically significant (P = 0.001, P = 0.04 respectively) in predicting the survival in patients with HCC. The common AE observed were abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and mild elevation of liver enzymes. CONCLUSION: Combination therapy with TACE + sorafenib is safe and equally effective as TACE alone in patients with unresectable HCC. CTP classification and BCLC staging were the significant predictors of survival. Future trials with large number of patients are needed to further validate this observation.     

mRECIST应答对经肝动脉化疗栓塞术治疗不可切除肝细胞癌患者预后的预测价值

目的探讨实体瘤疗效评价标准(mRECIST)应答对经肝动脉化疗栓塞术(TACE)治疗的不可切除肝细胞癌的预后价值。方法回顾性纳入2010年1月—2014年12月在空军军医大学第一附属医院消化介入科行TACE治疗连续的不可切除肝细胞癌患者190例。应用mRECIST标准评估TACE术后影像学应答,将肿瘤完全缓解(CR)和部分缓解(PR)患者定义为有应答组(n=89),将疾病进展(PD)和疾病稳定(SD)定义为无应答组(n=101)。采用Kaplan-Meier法计算中位生存时间,log-rank检验进行组间比较。利用Cox回归进行预后影响因素分析。结果根据mRECIST标准,CR、PR、SD和PD的患者分别有39(20.5%)例、50(26.3%)例、67(35.3%)例和34(17.9%)例。总人群的mRECIST客观应答率为46.8%。应答组的生存期明显高于无应答组,中位生存时间分别为29.9(95%CI:25.0~34.8)个月和7.5(95%CI:5.7~9.3)个月(P<0.001)。多因素分析结果显示,mRECIST应答(HR=2.02,P<0.001)、乙型肝炎(HR=4.03,P<0.001)和门静脉侵犯(HR=2.12,P=0.008)是影响患者生存的独立危险因素。结论mRECIST应答对经TACE治疗的不可切除肝细胞癌患者的预后具有一定的预测价值。     

A pilot study of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the potential role of three-dimensional (3-D) conformal radiotherapy (RT) in treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Thirteen patients were included in this study, which was conducted between 1993 and 1996. Nine patients (group A) were treated with 3-D conformal RT alone because of main portal vein thrombosis, inferior vena cava thrombosis, obstructive jaundice and failure of previous transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) to control the disease. The remaining four patients (group B) were treated with a combination of TACE and 3-D conformal RT. RESULTS: The greatest dimension of the main tumour in the whole group of patients ranged from 6 to 25 cm (median 15 cm). The radiation dose ranged from 40 to 60 Gy. The tumour response was evaluated by computed tomography scans of the liver 6-8 weeks after completion of radiotherapy. Partial response was observed in 58% of the patients (seven of 12) and minimal response in another 25% of patients (three of 12). One patient could not be evaluated because of the development of hepatic failure 1 month after completion of RT. All patients in group B lived for more than 1 year (range 16-40 months). In group A, one patient who had a large tumour (11 x 10 x 21 cm) with portal vein thrombosis was converted to become resectable after 45 Gy of radiation. The resection specimen revealed no residual cancer cells. This patient is alive longer than 15 months after treatment without the evidence of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience indicates that HCC is more radiosensitive than it was traditionally expected. Three-dimensional reconstruction of tumour and surrounding organs helps to avoid excessive exposure of the liver and adjacent organs to RT and makes it a safer treatment modality for unresectable HCC. Our preliminary data show promise and are worthy of further study to explore the potential role of radiotherapy in the treatment strategy for HCC at various stages of involvement.     

Evaluation of transarterial chemoembolization combined with percutaneous ethanol ablation for large hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM:To assess the effects of combined transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE) and percutaneous ethanol ablation(PEA) in patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).METHODS:A total of 63 patients with unresectable large HCC were treated with TACE followed by PEA.The largest dimension of the tumors ranged from 5.3 cm to 17.8 cm.The survival rates,acute effects,toxicity and prognostic factors were analyzed.RESULTS:The cumulative survival rates at 1,3 and 5 years were 59.4%,28.4% and 15.8%,respecti...     

Therapeutic effects and prognostic factors in three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of threedimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) combined with transcatheter arterial chernoembolization (TACE) on the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS: Between 1998 and 2001, 94 patients with HCC received 3D-CRT combined with TACE. A total 63 patients had a Okuda stage Ⅰ lesion and 31 patients had stage Ⅱ. The median tumor size was 10.7 cm (range 3.0-18 cm), and liver drrhosis was present in all the patients. There were 43 cases of class A and 51 dass B. TACE was performed using lipiodol,5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, doxorubicin hydrochloride and mitomycin, followed by gelatin sponge cubes. Fifty-nine patients received TACE only one time, while the others 2 to 3 times. 3D-CRT was started 3-4 wk after TACE. All patients were irradiated with a stereotactic body frame and received 4-8 Gy single high-dose radiation for 8-12 times at the isocenter during a period of 17-26 d (median 22 d).RESULTS: The median follow-up was 37 mo (range 10-48 mo) after diagnosis. The response rate was 90.5%. The overallsurvival rate at 1-, 2-, and 3- year was 93.6%, 53.8% and 26.0% respectively, with the median survival of 25 too. On univariate analysis, age (P=-0.026), Child-Pugh classification for cirrhosis of liver (P=0.010), Okuda stage (P=-0.026),tumor size (P=0.000), tumor type (P=0.029), albuminemia (P=0.035), and radiation dose (P=0.000) proved to be significant factors for survival. On multivariate analysis,age (P=-0.024), radiation dose(P=-0.001), and tumor size (P=0.000) were the significant factors.CONCLUSION: 3D-CRT combined with TACE is an effective and feasible approach for HCC. Age, radiation dose and tumor size were found to be significant prognostic factors for survival of patients with HCC treated by 3D-CRT combined with TACE. Further study for HCC is needed to improve the treatment efficacy.     

Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Therapy for Patients With Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background:

Although transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been widely used as a palliative treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its actual efficacy and prognostic usefulness have not been clarified in past studies.

Objectives:

The aim of the study is to investigate the efficacy, complications, and prognostic factors of the TACE in unresectable HCC patients.

Patients and Methods:

Thirty-two patients with unresectable HCC were treated with TACE. The procedure was performed with a combination of Lipiodol, doxorubicin, and cytomycin followed by gelatin-sponge particles embolization. CT-scan imaging and liver function tests (AST, ALT, ALP, BIL, and PT) were performed before and after the TACE. All patients were followed-up for 6-months.

Results:

Of all patients, 1 and 11 patients respectively, exhibited a complete response (CR) and a partial response (PR) (response rate, CR+PR, 44%). Data have shown that tumor size, number of lesions and number of involved segments are significantly reduced after the TACE performance (P < 0.05). No significant clinical adverse effect was observed in patients after the intervention. Also, liver function tests including AST, ALT, ALP, BIL, and PT did not significantly differ before and after the intervention (P > 0.05). The 6-month cumulative survival rates of the 32 patients were 78.1 %, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that survival correlated significantly with the following factors: tumor size; ≥ 8 cm versus < 8 cm (P < 0.010), serum ALP level; < 300 versus ≥ 300 (P < 0.043), and number of liver involved segments; < 2 versus ≥ 2 (P < 0.020).

Conclusions:

We showed that in treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, TACE significantly improved the disease and the overall survival rate. Also, we introduce the tumor size, serum ALP level, and number of liver involved segments as prognostic factors of the procedure. Finally, TACE can be recommended as the initial treatment for unresectable HCC patients.     

Multimodality treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract By 1996, 2898 patients with pathologically proven hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) had been treated at the Liver Cancer Institute of Shanghai Medical University. The 5 year survival in the entire series was 36.2%, being increased from 4.8% in 1958–70, 12.2% in 1971–83, to 50.5% in 1984–96 and 274 patients had survived more than 5 years. The increase in the survival rate could be attributed to the decreasing mean tumour diameter (11.7, 10.5 and 9.5 cm, respectively) and multimodality treatment. In addition to small HCC resection (5 year survival 64.9%, n = 735) and large HCC resection (5 year survival 37.4%, n = 1050), the following deserves to be mentioned. First, the 5 year survival of unresectable HCC treated by palliative surgery increased from 0% to 7.2% to 20.0%, which was related to the increase in use of multimodality treatment, particularly in those followed by second-stage resection. Second, cytoreduction and sequential resection is a new field with a significant potential in the treatment of localized unresectable HCC in a cirrhotic liver. Cytoreduction can be achieved by surgery, such as hepatic artery ligation, cannulation, cryosurgery and their combination, and followed by intrahepatic arterial chemoembolization, targeting therapy or regional radiotherapy. Ninety of 647 patients with unresectable HCC so treated had marked shrinkage of tumour and received second-stage resection; the 5 year survival was 71.4%. Third, non-surgical cytoreduction was mainly achieved by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE); for 70 patients with second-stage resection following TACE, the 5 year survival was 56.0%. Finally, re-resection of subclinical recurrence of tumour after curative HCC resection was performed in 155 patients; the 5 year survival calculated from the first resection was 50.9%, which played an important role in increasing the 5 year survival in the resection group (from 13.0% to 29.5% to 56.2%). It is concluded that multimodality treatment with combined and sequential use of different modalities and repeated use of some modalities is of substantial benefit for localized unresectable HCC.