title: Prognosis following transcatheter arterial embolization for 121 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with or without a history of treatment.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Ehime University School of Medicine, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.forename: Teru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumagi
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirooka
authors.forename: Takahide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurose
authors.forename: Hidehito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iuchi
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiasa
authors.forename: Bunzo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Michitaka
authors.forename: Seishi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumano
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Horiike
authors.forename: Teruhito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Morikazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onji
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins