Tumor response to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after living donor liver transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the tumor response and patient survival rate following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (r-HCC) after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).


METHODS
Twenty-eight patients with r-HCC underwent one or more cycles of TACE after LDLT (mean, 2.5 cycles). After a mixture of iodized oil and anti-cancer drugs was injected via the arteries feeding the tumors, these vessels were embolized with a gelatin sponge. Tumor response was determined by follow-up CT imaging on all patients four weeks after each TACE procedure. Patient survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve.


RESULTS
After TACE, targeted tumor reduced in size by 25% or more in 19 of the 28 study patients (67.9%). However, intrahepatic recurrence or extrahepatic metastasis occurred in 21 of the 28 patients (75.0%) during the 3-month follow-up period and in 26 of the 28 patients (92.9%) during the 6-month period following TACE. Extrahepatic metastasis was noted in 18 of the 28 patients (64.3%). The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates following TACE were 47.9, 6.0 and 0%, respectively, with a mean survival of nine months in all patients. There were no significant complications related to TACE.


CONCLUSIONS
TACE produces an effective tumor response for targeted r-HCC after LDLT. However, the survival rate of patients with r-HCC after LDLT is poor due to extrahepatic metastasis and intrahepatic recurrence.
Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, University of Yonsei College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea. kbsung@amc.seoul.kr
Heung Kyu
HK
Ko
Gi-Young
GY
Ko
Hyun Ki
HK
Yoon
Kyu-Bo
KB
Sung
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000098:blood supply / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007459:Iodized Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D007459:Iodized Oil; D002945:Cisplatin