[Transcatheter hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy and embolization for 60 patients with primary hepatic carcinoma]

Sixty patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) were treated with transcatheter hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (TAI) and embolization (TAE) from June 1988 to December 1989. There were 54 males and 6 females. Their age ranged from 22 to 72 years with an average of 52. Course of disease ranged from 1/2 to 12 months. In these 60 cases, 31 had Stage II and 29 Stage III lesions. Using Seldinger's method per femoral artery, conventional hepatic angiography was performed. Afterwards, adriamycin or cisplatin infusion was carried out, followed by chemoembolization therapy of tumor vessels using mixture of ethiodized oil or iophendylate and mitomycin C. Finally, gelatin sponge block was used for proximal arterial embolization. After the treatment procedure, abdominal pain was relieved, tumor reduced in size, AFP, r-GT, AKP and LDH declined to various degrees and the survival time was prolonged. The 3-, 6- and 12-month survival rates were 93.3% (56/60), 67.3% (37/49) and 33.3% (9/27), respectively. It is indicated that TAI and TAE, being safe and effective, is the treatment of choice for patients with unresectable PHC.