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  • First International Symposium on Treatment of Liver Cancer Kobe, Japan, 15–16 November 1987 Session 4: Panel Discussion
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Hepatic artery embolization for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma; prognosis and Risk Factors

Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology volume 23, pages S123–S125 (1989)Cite this article

Summary

During a 7-year period in our hospital, 69 patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) underwent 111 courses of transcatheter hepatic artery embolization (TAE) and/or chemoinfusion with lipiodol. Patient survival was 0.5–37 months following therapy and the factors affecting prognosis were evaluated. Survival rates at 1, 2 and 3 years after TAE were 53%, 24% and 15%, respectively. Survival rates at 1, 2 and 3 years in relation to tumor size were 100%, 100% and 100% in 5 patients (tumor size <2 cm in diameter), 81%, 33% and 16% in 23 patients (2.1–5.0 cm), and 35%, 9% and 0% in 41 patients (>5.1 cm). An analysis of prognostic factors showed that the size of the main tumor significantly influenced the prognosis following TAE (P<0.01), whereas the frequency of TAE, intrahepatic metastasis and the degree of liver dysfunction showed a slight correlation (P<0.1). These results suggest that TAE has a significant potential for becoming the first choice of treatment for patients with small multiple HCCs (<2 cm), provided that neither severe hepatic dysfunction nor a tumor thrombus in the main portal vein is present.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1, Tsukiji, 104, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Kenichi Takayasu, Katsuhiko Uesaka, Yukio Muramatsu & Noriyuki Moriyama

  2. Departmet of Internal Medicine, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Michihiro Suzuki, Takanobu Yoshida, Masahiro Yoshino & Nobuo Okazaki

  3. Department of Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroshi Hasegawa

Authors
  1. Kenichi Takayasu
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  2. Michihiro Suzuki
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  3. Katsuhiko Uesaka
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  4. Yukio Muramatsu
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  5. Noriyuki Moriyama
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  6. Takanobu Yoshida
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  7. Masahiro Yoshino
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  8. Nobuo Okazaki
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  9. Hiroshi Hasegawa
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Takayasu, K., Suzuki, M., Uesaka, K. et al. Hepatic artery embolization for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma; prognosis and Risk Factors. Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 23, S123–S125 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00647257

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00647257

Keywords

  • Carcinoma
  • Survival Rate
  • Prognostic Factor
  • Tumor Size
  • Hepatocellular Carcinoma