J Korean Soc Radiol.  2011 Jun;64(6):557-565. 10.3348/jksr.2011.64.6.557.

Therapeutic Effect of Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Hypervascular Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Web-based Multicenter Analysis

• Korean Society of Interventional Radiology
• Baik JH
• Song KS
• Han JK
• Choo SW
• Park S
• Kong HJ
• Shin S
• Lee KH
• Kim JK

• KMID: 1443505
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2011.64.6.557

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate the therapeutic effect of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) as a first treatment course for hypervascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), using nationwide web-based multicenter data in Korea.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Eight hundred eighty eight HCC patients who were registered in the internet homepage of primary liver cancer registry (www.plcr.or.kr) from August 2003 to August 2005 were enrolled in this study, and they were investigated till February 2007. The patients were divided into three groups according to the following treatments after first TAE; TAE only, TAE + SL (any surgical resection, transplantation or percutaneous ablation followed), TAE + RC (any radiation therapy or chemotherapy followed). The clinical and tumor characteristics, embolization factors and survival periods were analyzed.
RESULTS
The 5-year survival rates of the groups of TAE only, TAE + SL and TAE + RC were 21.6%, 57.4%, and 13.1%, respectively. In all cases and in the TAE only group, more selective and complete embolization increased survival rates. There were tendencies that as smaller tumor and the tumor in earlier stage, more selective and complete embolizations were performed in the TAE only group, and independent prognostic factors of this group were Child-Pugh classification, tumor size and Modified 4th UICC stage.
CONCLUSION
This study is the first nationwide multicenter analysis for TAE using an online registration system in Korea. Selective and complete TAE increases patient's survival, and decisive combined treatment after TAE such as surgical resection, transplantation or percutaneous ablation increases patient's survival.

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
Embolization, Therapeutic
Humans
Internet
Korea
Liver Neoplasms
Survival Analysis
Survival Rate
Transplants

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Survival rates by treatment groups. The survival rate of the TAE+SL group is significantly higher than those of the TAE only group or the TAE+RC group.

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  Fig. 2 Graphs of the survival rates of independent predictable factors in TAE only group. A. Child-Pugh classification A shows significantly higher survival rate than B. B. Tumor size of less than 2 cm shows significantly higher survival rate than the larger tumors of 5 cm. C. Modified UICC stage I shows significantly higher survival rate than stage IV-A or stage IV-B. (See Table 7.)

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