title: Evaluation of the therapeutic effect of transcatheter arterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) has been widely performed for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the method of evaluating the therapeutic effect of TAE has not been established. We examined the rate of necrotic area to whole tumor (TN) by CT, the tumor regression rate (TR) and the reduction rate in serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels in patients with HCC who received hepatic resection within 3 months after TAE. In the evaluation of TN, the lipiodol accumulation in tumor was regarded as being necrotic. Rates of necrotic area, which were also examined pathologically (PN) in resected tumors, were compared with TN, TR and AFP reduction rates, respectively. Eighty-eight patients were enrolled in this study, and there was a significant positive correlation between TN and PN (r = 0.80, p < 0.001). Although TR significantly correlated to PN (p = 0.001), the correlation coefficient between them was low (r = 0.34). The correlation coefficients between AFP reduction rate and PN was 0.76 (p < 0.001) in 26 patients (30%) with an AFP level >/=200 ng/ml before TAE. The evaluation method using lipiodol accumulation in CT is the most useful for assessing the therapeutic effect of TAE, particularly when a sufficiently long interval exists between TAE and the evaluation, because of the highest correlation coefficient between TN and PN, and the availability of TN for all patients. The reduction rate in serum AFP levels was also useful in patients with AFP levels >200 ng/ml before treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. tokusaka@ncc.go.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okusaka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimori
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kosuge
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirohashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D007459:Iodized Oil; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D007459:Iodized Oil