Role of Preoperative Transcatheter Arterial Oily Chemoembolization for Resectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

p < 0.05). A worse survival rate was particularly observed for the cirrhotic patients with TAOE than for those without TAOE: 35% and 72% at 4 years, respectively ( p < 0.01). As the cause of death, liver failure and gastrointestinal bleeding were more frequent in the patients with TAOE (13.3% versus 1.5%; p < 0.05). Although the TAOE seemed to retard intrahepatic recurrence during the first 1.5 years after operation (1.7% versus 10.3%; p < 0.05), the overall cancer death rate was similar between the two groups (18.3% versus 11.8%). Therefore we suggest that preoperative TAOE must not be performed for resectable HCC as a routine procedure, particularly in patients with cirrhosis. A prospective randomized trial is warranted to elucidate the merits and demerits of preoperative TAOE for surgically resectable HCC.