Prognosis following transcatheter arterial embolization for 121 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with or without a history of treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To retrospectively evaluate the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with or without a history of therapy for HCC following transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE).


METHODS
One hundred and twenty-one patients with HCC treated with TAE from 1992 to 2004 in our hospital were enrolled in this study. Eighty-four patients had a history of treatment for HCC, while 37 did not. At the time of entry, patients with extra-hepatic metastasis, portal vein tumor thrombosis, or Child-Pugh class C were excluded. TAE was repeated when recurrence of HCC was diagnosed by elevated tumor markers, or ultrasonography or dynamic computed tomography findings.


RESULTS
Tumor size was larger and the number of tumors was fewer in patients without past treatment (P<0.01). However, there were no differences in tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage or survival rate between the 2 groups. A bilobular tumor and high level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (>100 ng/mL) were factors related to a poor prognosis in patients with a history of HCC.


CONCLUSIONS
The prognosis following TAE is similar between HCC patients with and without past treatment. Early diagnosis of HCC or recurrent HCC and obtaining good local control against HCC before entry to a repeated TAE course can improve prognosis.
Hiraoka
Atsushi
A
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Ehime University School of Medicine, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.
Kumagi
Teru
T
Hirooka
Masashi
M
Uehara
Takahide
T
Kurose
Kiyotaka
K
Iuchi
Hidehito
H
Hiasa
Yoichi
Y
Matsuura
Bunzo
B
Michitaka
Kojiro
K
Kumano
Seishi
S
Tanaka
Hiroaki
H
Yamashita
Yoshimasa
Y
Horiike
Norio
N
Mochizuki
Teruhito
T
Onji
Morikazu
M
D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins