[Studies on postoperative arterial infusion chemotherapy using implanted reservoir for hepatocellular carcinoma]

The effect of postoperative arterial infusion therapy using implanted reservoir was evaluated in 28 cases of resected hepatocellular carcinoma which showed at least one of those findings as Vp (+), Vv (+), IM (+) and more than 5 cm in tumor diameter. Ten of them underwent arterial infusion therapy with combination ADM and CDDP after hepatic resection (IA group) and the rest underwent no regional chemotherapy (control group). The one-, two- and three-year cumulative disease-free survival rates between control group and IA group were 55.6% against 80.0%, 25.4% against 70.0%, and 16.9% against 37.3%, respectively. The one-, two- and three-year cumulative survival rates between control group and IA group were 71.8% against 90.0%, 51.8% against 70.0% and 41.5% against 56.0%, respectively, a difference that was not statistically significant. We suggest this therapy can prevent intrahepatic recurrence, although it does not improve prognosis. To achieve a better prognosis, a new arterial infusion chemotherapy more effective than this one must be developed.