Radiology, Vol 195, 747-752, Copyright © 1995 by Radiological Society of North America
Unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: analysis of prognostic factors in transcatheter management
Y Hatanaka, Y Yamashita, M Takahashi, Y Koga, R Saito, K Nakashima, J Urata and M Miyao
Department of Radiology, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan.
PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of transcatheter management of
hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A
prospective trial of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was
performed in patients with unresectable HCC. Three hundred twenty-two
patients (265 men, 57 women; age range, 30-83 years) underwent TAE alone:
60 patients underwent TAE with gelatin sponge (GS) that contained
anticancer agents (protocol 1); 78, TAE with GS and iodized oil mixed with
anticancer agents (protocol 2); and 159, TAE with iodized oil with
anticancer agents (protocol 3). A Cox proportional hazard model was used to
analyze prognostic factors. RESULTS: In the randomized group (n = 272),
survival rates for protocols 1, 2, and 3 were 80.4%, 86.3%, and 65.9%,
respectively, at 1 year. Findings of analysis of prognostic factors showed
that extrahepatic metastases, ascites, tumor extension, and icterus were
the important factors. CONCLUSION: TAE with GS was superior to TAE without
GS. Patient characteristics were important factors for survival.
