Intraarterial chemotherapy or chemoembolization for locally advanced and/or recurrent hepatic tumors: evaluation of the feeding artery with an interventional CT system.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the utility of an interventional CT system for intraarterial chemotherapy or chemoembolization for locally advanced and/or recurrent hepatic tumors.


METHODS
Thirty-eight patients with locally advanced or recurrent hepatic tumors underwent 73 intraarterial contrast-enhanced CT (IA-CECT) examinations immediately before chemotherapy or chemoembolization. The degree of tumor vascularity on angiography and enhancement on IA-CECT was classified into three grades: no, mild, or marked vascularity. The IA-CECT grades were compared with the angiographic grades.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine (69%) of 42 examinations that were interpreted as having no or mild vascularity on angiography were classified as marked enhancement on IA-CECT. Based on IA-CECT findings, the position of the catheter was changed in 14 (19%) of 73 CT examinations. The reasons for the reposition were as follows: weak or no enhancement of the tumor (n = 11) or strong enhancement of the gallbladder wall (n = 3). The treatment strategy was changed in three patients (8%). No major complications relating to the interventional procedures were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
IA-CECT is a reliable method when evaluating the perfusion of the tumor and adjacent normal tissues. The interventional CT system is useful for performing safe and effective intraarterial chemotherapy or chemoembolization in patients with locally advanced and/or recurrent hepatic tumors.
Hirai
T
T
Department of Radiology, Amakusa Medical Center, 854-1 Kameba, Hondo, Kumamoto 863-0046, Japan. toshior@beige.ocn.ne.jp
Korogi
Y
Y
Ono
K
K
Maruoka
K
K
Harada
K
K
Aridomi
S
S
Takahashi
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents