[Intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma using an implantable reservoir]

Arterial infusion therapy using implantable reservoirs was used in 44 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma which was unresectable for severe liver dysfunction or advanced tumor. The prognosis for patients with whom the double lumen reservoir developed by our department which can occlude the hepatic artery, was compared with that of patients for whom the conventional reservoir was employed. We also evaluated the reduction surgery previous to infusion therapy for tumor-advanced unresectable HCC. The six-month survival rates (Kaplan-Meier method) of the double lumen reservoir cases were significantly higher than for conventional reservoir cases. The survival rates of the cases of reduction surgery and infusion therapy (within only one year) were higher than for infusion therapy cases. Not only the use of the double lumen reservoir but the reduction surgery for unresectable HCC increases the effectiveness of infusion therapy and improves the prognosis.