TRANSCATHETER OILY CHEMOEMBOLIZATION FOR HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA - A4-YEAR STUDY OF 127 FRENCH PATIENTS

Background. In Western countries, only a small proportion of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be treated with surgical resec tion. For other patients, locoregional management by transcatheter oil y chemoembolization seems to be useful and warrants evaluation. Method s. One hundred and twenty-seven French patients with an inoperable HCC were treated by transcatheter oily chemoembolization. The efficiency of the treatment was assessed by a comparison of this group with a gro up of 127 untreated patients. Each patient of the treated group was ma tched closely with an untreated patient for all the main clinical, ana tomic, and biologic features that characterize the spontaneous evoluti on of HCC. Results. The overall probabilities of survival in the treat ed group were 64%, 38%, 27%, and 27% at 1, 2, 3, and 4 years, respecti vely; those for the untreated group were 18%, 6%, and 5% at 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively (P < 0.0001). The survival was significantly incr eased in patients with Okuda Stage I and II disease (P < 0.0001), but not in those with Stage III. Karnofsky and Child-Pugh scores remained stable during the follow-up period and dropped only shortly before pat ients died. Conclusion. Transcatheter oily chemoembolization is an eff icient treatment for unresectable HCC for the palliation of symptoms a s well as for the prolongation of survival with a good quality of life .