[Treatment of small liver cancer]

Histopathological studies were conducted on the resected lesions in eight cases of small liver cancer, and therapeutic methods are discussed. Examinations revealed tumor cell infiltration into the fibrous capsule in 5/7 (71%), into extracapsular tissues in 3/7 (43%), and vascular invasion by tumor cells in 2/8 (25%) cases. Seven patients were complicated with liver cirrhosis and one patient with hepatic fibrosis. On the basis of preoperative TAE performed in three cases and studies on the resected indicating that tumor cells remained that have infiltrated into extracapsular areas, resection was considered to be necessary to attain radical cure. At 100%, the one-year survival rate was encouraging. However, two cases of recurrence would suggest that further studies are necessary on areas to be resected.