Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with associated cirrhosis

During the recent 10 years, 105 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were admitted to our clinic. Seventy of them had an associated cirrhosis of the liver. The therapeutic results of these 70 patients were analyzed according to the mode of treatment. The mean survival periods after admission were as follows; No cancer treatment group (12 patients) 79 days, Chemotherapy group regardless of the mode of administration (25 patients) 97 days, Hepatic artery ligation with chemotherapy group (16 patients) 197 days. Hepatic resection was carried out in 17 patients; partial hepatectomy in 5, left lateral segmentectomy in 1, left lobectomy in 3, and right lobectomy in 8. The 50% survival period of all the hepatectomized patients was 8.5 months. Seven patients are living 5 months to 3 years after operation. Five patients died of recurrence of hepatoma between 4 months and 3 years and 2 months postoperatively. Five individuals died of causes related to the operation; two hepatic failure, two fatal infection, and one massive haemorrhage from acute duodenal ulcer. The results indicated that hepatic resection, from partial to extensive, might be possible even in patients with associated cirrhosis but more exact criteria are mandatory in selecting patients for major hepatic resection. Hepatic artery ligation with chemotherapy should be the first choice for those with nonresectable hepatoma. Continuous infusion of oncolytic agents into the hepatic artery may be considered for those in whom arterial ligation is contraindicated.