The effect of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization on prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in different sizes

Objective: To evaluate the effect of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization (TACE) on prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in different sizes. Methods: One hundred and ten patients with histologically-proven HCC were divided into two groups: 53 patients undergoing TACE before operation (group A) and 57 patients without previous treatment (group B). Patients with tumors ≤8 cm were assigned to group A1 (n =18) and B1 (n = 30), and those with tumors >8 cm were assigned to group A2 (n = 35) and B2 (n = 27). ndpk, p21, ECD, and Pgp were measured by immunohistochemistry, and AR, PI, and SPF by flow cytometry. Changes of these markers, tumor necrosis, encapsulation, volume, metastatic rate and cumulative survival in each group were retrospectively analyzed. Results: More tumor necrosis, apoptosis, encapsulation and volume-lessening, less metastasis were seen in group A1 and B1. The cumulative 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 94.4%, 66.7%, and 44.4% for patients in group A1, and 90.0%, 63.3%, and 40.0% for those in group B1, respectively (P > 0.05); 88.6%, 60.0%, and 51.4% for those in group A2, and 59.3%, 48.1%, and 25.9% for those in group B2, respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The preoperative TACE is safe and might benefit all patients especially those with tumors > 8 cm