[Nonsurgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma]

Hepatocellular carcinoma is responsible in France for approximately 5,500 deaths per year. Incidence rates are growing and the general status of patients is improving mainly because of earlier diagnosis and improvement in the treatment of complications of liver cirrhosis. In most of the cases the severity of the underlying liver disease is the prominent prognostic factor. Its treatment remains a difficult challenge for oncologists. Unfortunately surgery is usually contraindicated. Most trials of systemic chemotherapy are disappointing with poor response rates and severe side effects; new drugs and direct delivery in the hepatic artery appear to be of interest. Results with interferon are interesting but requires more studies. The lack of efficacy of antiandrogenic and antiestrogenic treatments were recently demonstrated; a recent randomized study showing the interest of somatostatin requires confirmation. Reports on radiotherapy are anecdotals. A lot of studies using liver directed therapies were conducted worldwide. Percutaneous ethanol injections (PEI) are well tolerated and are highly effective in small solitary tumors (> 70% of complete necrosis) but less in larger tumors; recurrences are frequent. No randomized trial have been performed concerning PEI but survival rates seem similar to those of surgery. A randomized controlled trial recently demonstrates that injection of acetic acid is more effective than injection of ethanol. Chemoembolization was extensively studied because of the demonstration of objective responses but all trials failed to demonstrate an improvement in survival. Intraarterial injection of radioactive Lipiodol achieves the same response rate and the same survival than chemoembolization but is significantly best tolerated. This treatment is superior to best supportive cares in patients with portal vein thrombosis. In conclusion, despite the fact that this disease is very frequent we have currently too many treatment options and are lacking of simple rules. The best treatment remains prevention, and the efficacy of hepatitis B vaccination was recently demonstrated in Taiwan.