Caudate lobe hepatocellular carcinoma treated with selective chemoembolization

To analyze the clinical outcomes of chemoembolization for solitary caudate lobe hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) found at initial presentation.

This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board; the requirement for informed patient consent was waived. From July 1998 to June 2009, 40 patients (28 men, 12 women; mean age, 57 years) found to have a single HCC lesion in the caudate lobe at initial presentation were treated with chemoembolization and evaluated for overall survival and progression-free survival. Multivariate analyses for potential clinical and radiologic factors were performed by using the Cox proportional hazard model.

Selective chemoembolization via the caudate artery was achieved in 34 (85%) patients. Overall survival rates at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years were 92%, 79%, 65%, 56%, and 56%, respectively. Selective chemoembolization of the caudate artery was a critically important factor in longer overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.091; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.021, 0.389; P < .001), and portal vein tumor thrombosis (hazard ratio, 31.25; 95% CI: 4.88, 200.1; P < .001) and multiple tumor-feeding vessels (hazard ratio, 6.87; 95% CI: 1.47, 32.1; P = .014) were significant factors in shorter overall survival. Selective chemoembolization of the caudate artery was also a significant factor in longer progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.278; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.76; P = .013).

Selective chemoembolization via the caudate artery is possible in most patients with caudate lobe HCC and a critical factor in longer overall survival and longer progression-free survival.