[Maintenance chemotherapy by UFT after trans-arterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma]

Of 160 cases examined from 1980 until October 1985, 60 cases were given 400 mg of UFT twice daily. Of the stage I and II cases, 28 were treated with UFT and 20 without UFT. In the cases given UFT, the one-year survival rate was 60.3% and the two-year survival rate was 51.6%. In the cases without UFT, however, the one-year survival rate was 44.4% and the two-year survival rate was 19.1%. After 22 months, the survival rate was significantly higher in cases treated with UFT than in those without UFT. Among the stage III cases, survival rate was higher, but there was no statistically significant difference between cases with and without UFT treatment. In the stage I and II cases there were only micrometastases and thrombosis of the tumor. It was therefore considered that maintenance chemotherapy by UFT, was useful for preventing micrometastasis and prolonging survival time.