Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a single-center experience.
OBJECTIVE
The comparative efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was investigated.


METHODS
Two hundred and sixty consecutive patients were retrospectively analyzed: 156 had received between one and six chemoembolization sessions at 3-month intervals, 33 had had PEI, and the remaining 71 patients refused any treatment. The follow-up ranged from 3 to 36 months. Survival rates were statistically analyzed by life-table analysis.


RESULTS
Patients' survival was affected by the number of nodules and by the Child's and Okuda's classes; no relationship was found between survival rates and the histologic grade or vascular supply of the tumor. In the case of a single lesion of Okuda's class I, TACE was more effective than PEI. In multifocal HCC, TACE was better than no treatment in Okuda's class I and Child's class A.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest TACE as the treatment of choice in Child A or Okuda I patients with multifocal HCCs; it seems of little help in Child B-C or Okuda II-III patients.
Florio
F
F
Department of Radiology, Hospital Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza IRCCS, Foggia, Italy.
Nardella
M
M
Balzano
S
S
Caturelli
E
E
Siena
D
D
Cammisa
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000431:Ethanol