Segmental transcatheter arterial chemoembolization treatment in patients with cirrhosis and inoperable hepatocellular...

To establish whether segmental transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment may improve the rates of survival in patients with compensated cirrhosis and inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Fifty-six patients with compensated cirrhosis and inoperable HCC were treated with segmental TACE. One hundred forty treatments (mean, 2.5 per patient; 30-60 mg Epirubicin, 4-10 mL Lipiodol, and Gelfoam particles) were administered.

During the 69-month study, 25 patients (45%) died of tumor progression, 12 (21%) of liver failure, nine (16%) of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and three (5%) of other causes; seven patients (13%) are still alive. The 3-year rate of survival was 32%. Intention-to-treat analysis determined that patients with Child-Pugh class A disease (n = 44; 79%) or a single <5-cm HCC (n = 21; 37%) had a higher rate of survival than those with Child-Pugh class B disease (n = 12; 21%; P <.002) or a larger HCC (n = 35; 63%; P <.02) and patients (n = 41) who were treated with more than one course of TACE had a higher rate of survival than those who were treated with a single TACE procedure (n = 15; P <.0003). Multivariate analysis was used to predict rates of survival by number of treatments (hazard ratio, 0.6; CI, 0.48-0.86; P <.004), Child-Pugh class (hazard ratio, 2.8; CI, 1.41-5.74; P <.003), and tumor size (hazard ratio, 3.8; CI, 1.81-8.01; P <.001). The 3-year rate of survival in patients with Child-Pugh class A disease and a < or =5-cm-HCC (n = 16) was 56%. This result was similar to the 50% 3-year rate of survival in untreated historic controls with similar characteristics.

The rate of survival in patients with compensated cirrhosis and inoperable HCC did not appear to improve with use of TACE therapy.