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Updated: Sep 27, 2026
Transradial Access Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients
Published on: September 20, 2020
Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma
Michele Barone1, Giovanni Carlo Ettorre, Roberta Ladisa
1Dept. of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, Section of Gastroenterology, University di Bari, Policlinico Piazza G. Cesare, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
Background/Aims:
Substantial differences about the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma are reported in literature. This probably depends on the fact that in each single study, different patient selection criteria, type of epidemiological approach, end points adopted and kind of technical approach were used. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of segmental transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in amelioring patient survival and to determine which patients might really benefit from this treatment.
Methodology:
To achieve our goals 193 consecutive patients (110 treated and 83 untreated) were studied. They were selected in the same period of time and matched as far as their demographic and clinical characteristics.
Results:
Our results demonstrate that both in treated and control patients, Child class, alpha-fetoprotein and tumor diameter significantly influenced survival, resulting important prognostic factors. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization significantly ameliorated survival in treated patients compared to controls (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions:
Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization significantly ameliorates survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the presence of large tumors producing high alpha-fetoprotein levels in patients with advanced Child class should discourage treatment.
