Abstract

In order to evaluate the effect of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization on recurrence rate and survival after curative resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, a retrospective clinical study of 57 patients underwent curative resection was performed. Fifty seven patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, underwent curative liver resection at Yongdong Severance Hospital from June 1985 to June 1995, were divided into two different treatment groups. Of the 57 patients, 25 patients(Group I) had received preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and 32(Group II) had not received. In any of the variables considered, age, sex, HBsAg, Child class, tumor number, tumor size, a- FP, operative method, no significant difference of patient characteristics between the two groups was found(p>0.05). Using the Kaplan-Meier Product-limit method and log-rank test, the differences of 1, 3, 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates, between these comparable groups were analyzed. The l, 3, 5-year overall survival rates in Group I and Group II were, respectively, 95.2%, 59.5%, 39.7% and 76.6%, 58.7%, 44.0%. Furthermore, the disease-free survival rates were, respectively, 81.5%, 50.3%, 50.3% and 69.4%, 43.9%, 30.8 %. This result indicates that there was no statistical significant difference between two groups in overall and disease-free survival. But, we gained a better results in Group I patients especially with total necrosis of tumor. So, further study, when & how we obtained total necrosis of hepatocellular carcinoma preoperatively, will be needed.

• Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, Preoperative transcatheter chemoembolization, Survival