[Pathomorphological study of resected hepatocellular carcinoma after transcatheter hepatic arterial...

Through 17 days to 5 months (average 2.5 months), transcatheter hepatic arterial chemo-embolization (TACE), 12 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) unremovable by hepatolobectomy were turned to be operable (removable). Extensive necrosis and obvious shrinkage (average range = 3.8cm) of the tumor mass were noticed after TACE. Proliferation and encapsulation of "peri-mass" fibrous tissue were considered to be the pathological base of secondary resection of HCC. About 2/3 cases could not undergo complete necrosis after TACE. Since various amounts of viable residual tumor cells and collateral circulation might still exist subsequently, a proper secondary resection of HCC after TACE is necessary. The time of choice for the secondary resection is about 2-3 months after TACE. Two patients died of liver failure after 13 days and 45 days of TACE respectively. The other 10 patients are still alive, and the longest survival period was 56 months (mean = 17.3 months).