Chemoembolization of intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinomas: results from a Nordic tertiary liver cancer center

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is used as palliative treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most publications are from HCC patient populations where viral hepatitis is the primary cause of liver disease. In the Nordic countries, most patients have either alcohol-induced cirrhosis or are noncirrhotic. The aim of this single-center study was to evaluate patient characteristics, survival, and side effects of TACE in a Danish referral center for HCC treatment.

Fifty-nine consecutive patients with HCC, treated with TACE, either chemoembolization with drug-eluting beads or conventional-TACE with Lipiodol, were included in the study. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed, computed tomography images analyzed, and biochemical markers recorded. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Analyses were by intention to treat.

Thirty-five patients (59 %) had HCC on a background of liver cirrhosis most often caused by alcohol (60 % of cirrhotics or 35 % overall). Before the first chemoembolization, the patients had a median Child-Pugh score of 6 (5-7) and a median MELD score of 10 (6-21). Median survival after chemoembolization was 18.9 months (13.1-24.7). TACE patients were hospitalized for an average of 3 days (2-30). Prolonged stay was most often due to side effects-eg. pain (31 %), fever (14 %), nausea (10 %), and infection (10 %). Thirty-three patients (56 %) did not have any side effects.

In this cohort, we observed an acceptable survival following TACE without significant side effects.