[A new development in interventional radiology for hepatocellular carcinoma].
In Japan, interventional radiology (IVR) treatments such as transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT), and intraarterial infusion chemotherapy play an important role in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma because of the associated cirrhosis (impairment of liver function) and occasional multicentricity. With progress in catheters, embolic materials, and imaging equipment such as the so-called "IVR-CT", superselective TAE and precise evaluation of tumor lesions has become feasible. However, the impact of TAE on survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma remains to be determined because no survival benefit was seen in four of five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in Europe and Eastern countries, in which TAE was compared with no treatment (3 trials), i.v. 5-fluorouracil (1 trial), or tamoxifen (1 trial). To resolve questions arising from these results, a fair number of trials, particularly RCTs are needed in Japan.
Kumada
T
T
Department of Gastroenterology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Ogaki 503-8502, Japan.
Sone
Y
Y
Hasegawa
T
T
Ishiguro
H
H
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000295:instrumentation; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D015642:Radiology, Interventional; D015996:Survival Rate
D000431:Ethanol