Preoperative main portal branch transection combined with liver locoregional transarterial neo and adjuvant immunochemotherapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Background/Aims: Main portal branch embolization was developed several year s before in an attempt to improve prognosis and outcome for patients suffer ing from advanced liver malignancies. Methodology: From September 1993 to September 2000 43 patients with advance d hepatocellular carcinoma underwent main portal branch transection and neo - and adjuvant transarterial immunochemotherapy. Forty days after initial s urgery, all patients underwent a phase II surgical exploration for liver re section. Results: Survival ranged from 18 months to 64 months with a median of 41 mo nths. Two- and 5-year survival was 75% and 57%, respectively. Conclusions: Main portal branch transection combined with major liver resec tion and neoadjuvant and adjuvant locoregional immunochemotherapy fulfilled our expectations firstly for increasing the resectability rate and secondl y for increasing the overall survival and the disease-free survival.