Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma on the waiting list for orthotopic liver transplantation

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to perform a retrospective analysis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) before undergoing liver transplantation at our institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS. From January 2000 to August 2005, 56 patients with HCC underwent TACE before orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Radiologic findings before and after TACE were assessed and correlated with histologic findings after OLT. The area of induced necrosis was pathologically evaluated in each HCC nodule. RESULTS. One hundred thirty-one HCC nodules were detected at histologic study. One hundred seventeen HCC nodules (91.4%) were hyperenhancing in the arterial phase on the preoperative imaging studies. The percentage of tumor necrosis was greater than 90% in 48 nodules (38%), between 50% and 90% in 19 nodules (15%), and less than 50% in 61 nodules (48%); tumor necrosis data were not recorded for the remaining three nodules. The size of the preoperatively detected lesions ranged from 0.2 to 9 cm (mean, 2.58 cm). The mean percentage of tumor necrosis was 67.8% in this group, but it rose to 79.2% in the hypervascular lesions. The size of the nodules that were not detected preoperatively ranged from 0.1 to 1.9 cm (mean, 0.68 cm), and the mean percentage of tumor necrosis was only 1.57%. CONCLUSION. TACE is a safe treatment in well-selected patients. Its antitumoral effect is high in hypervascular lesions (mean necrosis, 79.2%). It provides good local control in preoperatively diagnosed HCC (mean necrosis, 67.8%), but its impact is limited in lesions not detected preoperatively (mean necrosis, 1.57%).