Decollateralization with silicone rubber sheeting for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a preliminary report

A new treatment method, interception of collaterals with a silicone rubber sheet, was applied to three patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in whom arterial chemoembolization was assessed as ineffective because of the developed collateral feeding arteries. This procedure was followed by arterial chemoembolization or intraportal infusion chemotherapy or both. Follow-up celiac angiography confirmed that the long-term decollateralization was achieved by shielding the liver with silicone rubber sheeting. This technique resulted in partial responses without serious complications in all the patients including two who had no responses to chemoembolization before the procedure. The response durations were 5, 21, and 27, months, respectively. One patient died of gastrointestinal bleeding 7 months after the decollateralization. The other two patients are still alive, and the survivals after the procedure are 28 and 30 months, respectively. This therapy is considered promising and may be worth choosing as an adjuvant treatment for advanced hepatic malignancies uncontrolled by arterial chemotherapy or chemoembolization.