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Purpose: While the role of drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is established, questions regarding appropriate bead size for use in patients remain. This trial evaluated the effectiveness and safety of DEB-TACE using small-size (≤ 100 μm) microspheres loaded with epirubicin., Materials and Methods: This prospective, single-arm, multicenter study enrolled patients diagnosed with HCC who underwent DEB-TACE using 40 (range, 30-50), 75 (range, 60-90), or 100 (range, 75-125) μm epirubicin-loaded microspheres (TANDEM microspheres, Varian Medical). Bead size was at the discretion of treating physicians and based on tumor size and/or vascular structure. The primary outcome measure was 6-month objective response rate (ORR). Secondary outcome measures were 30-day and 3-month ORR, time to tumor progression and extrahepatic spread, proportion of progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) at one year, and incidence of treatment-associated adverse events., Results: Data from 108 patients from ten centers was analyzed. Six-month ORR was 73.3 and 71.3% based on European association for the study of the liver (EASL) and modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (mRECIST) criteria, respectively. Thirty-day ORR was 79.6% for both EASL and mRECIST criteria with 3-month ORR being 80.0 and 81.0%, respectively, for each criteria. One-year PPF and OS rate were 60.3 and 94.3%. There was a total of 30 SAEs reported to be likely to definitely associated with microsphere (n = 9), epirubicin (n = 9), or procedure (n = 12) with none resulting in death., Conclusion: DEB-TACE using epirubicin-loaded small-sized (≤ 100 μm) microspheres demonstrates promising local tumor control and acceptable safety in patients with HCC., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03113955; registered April 14, 2017. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03113955; registered April 14, 2017., Level of Evidence: 2, Prospective, Non-randomized, Single-arm, study., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: To explore the outcomes of combined transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with portal vein tumour thrombus (PVTT) and to establish a prognostic prediction nomogram to differentiate target patients and stratify risk., Materials and Methods: This multicentre, retrospective study consisted of 185 consecutive treatment-naïve patients with HCC and PVTT treated with TACE plus sorafenib from three institutions between January 1st, 2012 and December 31st, 2017. The primary outcome measurement of the study was overall survival (OS). The type of PVTT was classified by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan. The prognostic nomogram was established based on the predictors and was performed with interval validation., Results: The median OS of the Vp1-3 and Vp4 groups was 12.4 months (11.7-18.9) and 8.5 months (7.6-11.2) (P = 0.00098), respectively, and there was a significant difference in the median OS between the Vp1-2 and Vp3 subgroups (16.4 months (12.2-27.9) vs. 10.9 months (8.4-18.1), P = 0.041). The multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that tumour size, albumin-bilirubin grade, and PVTT type were independent prognostic factors. The C-index value of the nomogram based on these predictors in the entire cohort was 0.731 (0.628-0.833)., Conclusions: After the combined therapy of TACE and sorafenib, advanced HCC patients with segmental or subsegmental PVTT showed better survival than those with main PVTT. The nomogram can be applied to identify advanced HCC patients with PVTT who may benefit most from the combination treatment and be helpful for making decision in clinical practice.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of iodine-125 ( 125 I) seed strand implantation in combination with transarterial chemoembolization for the treatment of hepatitis B-related unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein invasion., Materials and Methods: From January 2013 to June 2016, 76 HCC patients with type II tumor thrombus were included in this single-center retrospective study. Twenty patients underwent 125 I seed strand implantation combined with transarterial chemoembolization (group A; n = 20), while 56 patients underwent transarterial chemoembolization alone (group B; n = 56). The procedure-related and radiation complications were assessed. Overall survivals were compared by propensity-score analysis., Results: The technique was successfully performed in all patients. The mean intended dose (r = 10 mm; z = 0; 240 days) was 62.6 ± 1.8 Gy. No grade 3 or 4 adverse events related to the procedure occurred in either group. After propensity-score-matching analysis, 19 patients were selected into each group, respectively. In the propensity-matching cohort, the median overall survival time was significantly longer in group A than in the group B (19 pairs; 28.0 ± 2.4 vs 8.7 ± 0.4 mo; P = .001). Treatment strategy, arterioportal shunt, and number of transarterial chemoembolization sessions were significant predictors of favorable overall survival time., Conclusions: 125 I seed strand implantation combined with transarterial chemoembolization is a safe and effective treatment for HCC patients with portal vein invasion., (Copyright © 2018 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation combined with transarterial chemoembolization in patients with specially located small hepatocellular carcinoma., Materials and Methods: Between March 2014 and March 2017, a total of 26 patients with 26 lesions (10 perivascular, 6 subdiaphragmatic, 5 subcapsular, 5 perivascular, and subdiaphragmatic location; mean diameter 2.12 (0.62) cm), who received radiofrequency ablation-transarterial chemoembolization treatment, were retrospectively analyzed. Local tumor response was assessed by computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging 1 month after the procedure. Tumor-free survival was also assessed according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Complications were evaluated according to the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 4.0)., Results: Complete response was achieved in all patients 1 month after the procedure. During a median follow-up duration of 16.76 months (95% confidence interval: 7.78-25.73 months), local tumor recurrence occurred in 2 patients and new intrahepatic lesions developed in 7 patients. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year cumulative local tumor progression rates were 3.84%, 7.69%, and 7.69%, respectively. The median tumor-free survival duration was 21.96 months (95% confidence interval: 17.58-26.34 months). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year tumor-free survival rates were 67.4%, 46.1%, and 39.3%, respectively., Conclusion: The radiofrequency ablation-transarterial chemoembolization combination therapy appears to be safe and effective and might be a treatment option for specially located small hepatocellular carcinoma lesions that have a risk of incomplete ablation or major complications.

This study sought to develop an effective and reliable nomogram for predictions of recurrence for postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) in patients with hepatitis B virus-related (HBV) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).The nomogram was established based on data obtained from a retrospective study on 235 consecutive patients with HBV HCC who received PA-TACE as an initial therapy from 2006 to 2010 in our center. Eighty-four patients who were collected at another institution between 01/2008 and 12/2010 served as an external validation set. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was collected. The nomogram for tumor recurrence was developed based on the data obtained before the PA-TACE procedure. Predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were assessed by concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, and validation set.The 1, 2, 3-year RFS rates were 55.5%, 27.0%, and 14.1%, respectively, in the patients from the derivation set and 60.7%, 33.2%, and 23.8% in those from the validation set. Four risk factors (HBV-DNA level, vascular invasion, change of Child-Pugh score, and tumor diameter) in the multivariate analysis were significantly associated with RFS. The statistical nomogram incorporated these 4 factors achieved good calibration and discriminatory abilities with the c-index of 0.74 (95% CI 0.66-0.82). The findings were supported by the independent external validation set (c-index, 0.70; 95% CI 0.58-0.83). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in our model was greater than those of conventional staging systems in the validation patients (corresponding c-indices, 0.56-0.64).The novel nomogram may achieve an optimal prediction for recurrence outcome in HBV-related HCC with PA-TACE.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with main portal vein tumor thrombus have a median survival time of only about 4 months. We therefore compared the safety and efficacy of endovascular brachytherapy (EVBT) and sequential three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3-DCRT). From a cohort of 176 patients, we treated 123 with EVBT using iodine-125 seed strands (group A) and the remaining 53 with sequential 3-DCRT (group B). Overall survival, progression free survival and stent patency characteristics were compared between the two groups. Our analysis demonstrated a median survival of 11.7 ± 1.2 months in group A versus 9.5 ± 1.8 months in group B (p = 0.002). The median progression free survival was 5.3 ± 0.7 months in groupA versus 4.4 ± 0.4 months in group B (p = 0.010). The median stent patency period was 10.3 ± 1.1 months in group A versus 8.7 ± 0.7 months in group B (p = 0.003). Therefore, as compared to sequential 3-DCRT, EVBT combined with portal vein stenting and TACE improved overall survival of HCC patients with main portal vein tumor thrombus.

This study sought to develop a reliable and easy-to-use scoring model to guide the decision to perform postsurgical adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) in patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).The study included 235 consecutive patients with hepatitis B-related HCC undergoing PA-TACE at our medical center. Patients were assigned to 2 sets according to the PA-TACE date: initial (2005-2007; n = 130) and internal validation (2008-2009; n = 105) sets. With the aid of a Cox regression model, we developed a risk-scoring model from the independent predictive factors of our initial set designed as a guide for PA-TACE, and the performance of the model was validated with an internal set. External validation was also performed with an independent dataset (n = 84) to assess the discriminatory power of the scoring model.In the multivariate analysis, 4 risk factors (an increase in Child-Pugh score of at least 1 point, hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid [HBV-DNA] level >10 IU/mL, tumor diameter ≥5 cm, and the presence of vascular invasion) were significantly associated with prognosis. These factors were incorporated into a novel clinicopathological scoring model (assessment for PA-TACE [APT] risk-scoring model) ranging from 0 to 8 that was correlated with prognosis. Different survival outcomes were identified in three groups (0-2 points, 3-6 points, and 7-8 points). The risk-scoring model was further confirmed with 2 independent sets.The novel APT risk-scoring model, merging 4 prognostic factors, may achieve an optimal postsurgical prediction of PA-TACE in HBV-related HCC. The risk for an individual patient with an APT score of ≥7.0 prior to the PA-TACE, who may not profit from further PA-TACE, can be determined, and this may lead to a more appropriate choice of treatment., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of microwave (MW) ablation combined with transarterial chemoembolization in a single stage for the treatment of large (≥ 5 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Materials and Methods: From March 2013 to January 2015, 66 patients (54 men and 12 women; mean age, 54 y; range, 29-83 y) with 72 large HCC lesions were included in this study. Eighteen (27.3%) had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer class B disease, and 48 (72.7%) had class C disease. Seventy-nine percent of patients (n = 52) had hepatitis B virus infection. The average tumor size was 9.0 cm ± 3.9, ranging from 5 to 19 cm. MW ablation was performed under ultrasound guidance, immediately followed by chemoembolization. Local tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed., Results: The technique was successfully performed in all patients. Complete response (CR) was achieved in 28 cases (42.4%), and partial response (PR) was achieved in 34 cases (51.5%) at 1 month after the procedure. The objective response rate (ie, CR plus PR) was 93.9%. Median PFS and OS times were 9 months and 21 months, respectively. The 6-, 12-, and 18-month OS rates were 93.9%, 85.3%, and 66.6%, respectively. Hemorrhage was detected in three patients and arteriovenous fistula in two patients after MW ablation; all were promptly treated with embolization. There were no liver abscesses, bile-duct injuries, or other major procedure-related complications., Conclusions: MW ablation immediately followed by chemoembolization is safe and effective in the treatment of large HCC lesions., (Copyright © 2016 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study sought to establish an effective and reliable prognostic nomogram to guide the decision for post-surgical adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) in patients with hepatitis B virus-related (HBV) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Results: The 1, 3, 5-year overall survival rates were, respectively, 87.7%, 52.1% and 28.3% in the patients from the derivation set and 91.7%, 57.1% and 34.1% in those from the validation set. Five risk factors (HBV-DNA level, platelet count, vascular invasion, change of Child-Pugh score, and tumor diameter) in the multivariate analysis were significantly associated with prognosis. The statistical nomogram incorporated these five factors achieved good calibration and discriminatory abilities with c-index of 0.75 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.83). The findings were supported by the independent external validation set (c-index, 0.69; 95% CI 0.56 to 0.83). Patients who had a nomogram score of less than 180 was considered to have higher survival benefit from PA-TACE., Methods: The nomogram was established based on data obtained from a retrospective study on 235 consecutive patients with HBV HCC who received PA-TACE as an initial therapy from 2006 to 2010 in our center. 84 patients who were collected at another institution between 01/2008 and 12/2010 served as an external validation set. The prognostic nomogram was developed based on the data obtained before the PA-TACE procedure. Predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were assessed by concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, and validation set., Conclusions: The novel nomogram may achieve an optimal prognostic prediction for PA-TACE in HBV-related HCC., Competing Interests: The authors report no declarations of interest.

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with intra-IVC implantation of an irradiation stent for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated by inferior vena cava tumor thrombosis (IVCTT)., Methods: Sixty-one consecutive patients with HCC complicated by IVCTT treated by TACE combined with IVC stenting were retrospectively analysed. IVC stenting was performed using a stent loaded with (125)I seeds strands (the irradiation stent) in 33 patients (Group A) and 28 patients with a bare stent (Group B). Propensity score matching eliminated the baseline differences. Overall survival, oedema related to IVC obstruction remission rate and procedure-related adverse events were compared between the two groups., Results: The adverse effect rate was similar for both Group A and Group B patients, and complications were adequately handled by medical treatment. TACE combined with implantation of an irradiation stent showed a significant median survival benefit over TACE combined with a bare stent, with a median survival time of 203.0 ± 28.135 days versus 93.0 ± 24.341 days (p = 0.006). The propensity score-matched (24 pairs) cohort analyses (200 ± 31.231 days vs. 66 ± 23.270 days, p = 0.019). The oedema remission rate was 97.0 % in group A patients and 96.4 % in group B, respectively. TACE-irradiation stent and object tumor response were the independent prognostic factors of favorable survival., Conclusions: TACE combined with irradiation stent implantation is a safe and effective treatment modality for patients with HCC complicated by IVCTT and may extend their survival time.

Propose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of endovascular brachytherapy (EVBT) with iodine-125 ((125)I) seed strand implantation combined with stent placement and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with main portal vein tumor thrombus (MPVTT)., Methods: Data of 276 consecutive HCC patients with MPVTT treated by stent placement and TACE were analyzed retrospectively. (125)I seed strands were implanted in 182 patients (group A). The remaining 94 patients, who did not receive EVBT, served as control (group B). The overall survival, free of disease progression survival, stent patency period and procedure-related complications were compared between the two groups., Results: During a mean 9.9 ± 9.7 month (range 1.3-62.2 months) follow-up, the median survival time was 9.3 ± 0.9 months (95 % CI 7.6-11.0 months) in group A compared to 4.9 ± 0.5 months (95 % CI 4.0-5.8 months) in group B (p < 0.001). Median free of disease progression survival time in group A and B was 1.8 ± 0.1 months (95 % CI 1.6-2.0 months) and 1.5 ± 0.1 months (95 % CI 1.3-1.7 months), respectively (p < 0.001). Median stent patency period was 9.2 ± 1.1 months (95 % CI 7.0-11.4 months) in group A and 4.8 ± 0.5 months (95 % CI 3.9-5.7 months) in group B, respectively (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: These findings suggested that EVBT combined with stent placement and TACE might be a safe and effective palliative treatment option for HCC with main portal vein tumor thrombus.

Background: The long-term survival in hepatocellullar carcinoma (HCC) patients after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) remains dismal due to local and/or regional recurrence as well as distant metastasis. The efficacy of sorafenib in advanced HCC has been demonstrated and brought great hope. Recently, the use of sorafenib in combination with TACE for BCLC stage B and C HCC patients was recommended. However, data on this dual-modality treatment is little, and its advantage over TACE alone has not been addressed. The present study sought to understand the efficacy of the combination of TACE and sorafenib in the treatment of advanced HCC., Methods: Between June 2008 and Feb 2011, 45 patients with advanced HCC were enrolled and treated with sorafenib in combination with TACE according to an institutional protocol of the Zhongshan hospital, Fudan University. The control group of 45 other HCC patients with similar characteristics treated with TACE alone in the same period of time in our institute were selected for retrospective comparison of the treatment outcomes especially overall survival time. Adverse reactions induced by sorafenib were observed and recorded., Results: The median overall survival time of the combined treatment group was 27 (95% Confidence Interval: 21.9-32.1) months, and that of TACE alone group was 17 months (95% Confidence Interval: 8.9-25.0) months (P = 0.001). Patients required significantly less frequent TACE for their symptomatic treatment after the initiation of sorafenib therapy. The most common adverse events associated with sorafenib were hand-foot skin reaction, rash and diarrhea. Of CTCAE grade IV or V toxicity was observed., Conclusion: TACE combined sorafenib significantly prolonged median overall survival time of patients with advanced HCC.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of endovascular placement of iodine-125 seed strand and stent combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombus in the main portal vein (MPVTT)., Methods: Fifty patients with HCC complicated by MPVTT were enrolled into this study. There were 46 men and 4 women with a mean age of 53.9 years. TACE was performed after the iodine-125 seed strand and self-expandable stent placement in the obstructed segment of the main portal vein (MPV)., Results: Technical success rate was 100% for placement of iodine-125 seed strand and stent in the target segment of MPV. No serious procedure-related complications occurred. The mean follow-up duration was 208.5 d. The mean and median survival time was 370.1 d and 223.0 d, respectively. The 90-, 180-, 360-day cumulative survival rates were 97.5%, 59.3%, and 38.4%, respectively. The mean and median patent time of stent was 524.2 d and 407.4 d, respectively. The 90-, 180-, 360-day cumulative patency rates of stent were 94.9%, 75.2%, and 64.5%, respectively., Conclusion: Endovascular placement of iodine-125 seed strand and stent combined with TACE is an effective therapy for HCC with tumor thrombus in the main portal vein.

Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization (TACE) is the first line of treatment in inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma. Magnetic affinity beads can be used to extract peptides from un-fractionated serum samples. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) can detect the presence and the molecular mass of peptides. In this study, we used a highly optimized ClinProt-matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF-MS) to screen hepatocellular carcinoma markers for TACE. 40 sera from 20 patients, including before and after TACE to explore those biomarkers, might be related with therapy efficiency, and some of the patients who received another therapy were analyzed as well. The spectra were analyzed statistically using FlexAnalysis™ and Clin-Prot™ bioinformatic software. The seven most significant differential peaks (p < 0.0.5) were selected out by ClinProTool software to identify hepatocellular carcinoma markers for TACE therapy. Furthermore, the differential peptide of 3883Da was identified as plasma serine protease inhibitor precursor (Protein C inhibitor). This study provides a direct link between peptide marker profiles and TACE therapy, and the markers may have clinical utility for monitoring efficiency of therapy.

Objective: To study the features of blood supply and results of transarterial infusion and embolization in spinal metastases., Methods: Forty-one patients with spinal metastasis received transarterial infusion and embolization between March 2001 and June 2008. The inclusion criteria were: The metastatic lesion caused back pain; The metastatic lesion involved vertebra at or below T3 level. There were 29 males and 12 females with a mean age of 56.0 (33 - 71) years. Epirubicin was used as the chemotherapeutic agent. Lipoid Ultra-Fluid, Contour SE or gelfoam particles were used as embolitic material., Results: The technical success of therapy was achieved in 52 vertebrae (100%) including 14 thoracic, 35 lumbar and 3 sacral vertebrae. 105 arteries were used for infusion and embolization (16 intercostal arteries, 78 lumbar arteries, 4 iliolumbar arteries, 4 branches of iliac arteries, and 3 median sacral arteries). Lipoid Ultra-Fluid (2 - 8 ml) was used in 15, Contour SE (300 approximately 500 microm, 20 - 100 mg) in 20, and gelfoam particles in 33 arteries. Three days after treatment, complete pain relief (CR) was achieved in 17 patients, partial pain relief (PR) in 20, and moderate pain relief (MR) in 4, with an effective rate of 90.2%. Two weeks after treatment, CR was achieved in 17 patients, PR in 21, and MR in 3, with an effective rate of 92.7%. No adverse nervous system effect occurred. 16 patients developed swelling and pain of normal tissues which were alleviated after symptomatic treatment., Conclusion: Transarterial infusion and embolization is an effective therapy in relieving pain resulting from spinal metastases.

To retrospectively analyze the therapeutic results of percutaneous transhepatic portal vein stenting (PTPVS) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment in 58 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invading the main portal vein (MPV). A total of 58 procedures of PTPVS were performed, immediately after which TACE was undertaken to control HCC. The clinical effects, complications, digital subtraction angiographic appearance, stent patency rates, cumulative survival rates, and predictive factors for survival were evaluated. The Kaplan-Meyer method and the log rank test were used for survival analysis. Multivariable analysis was also conducted by the Cox proportional hazard model. No patient died during stent placement or within the first 24 h. No severe procedure-related complications were observed. After stent placement, the mean +/- standard deviation portal venous pressure levels decreased from 41.43 +/- 8.56 cmH(2)O to 37.19 +/- 7.89 cmH(2)O (p < 0.01). At the time of analysis, 9 of the 58 patients survived. The 60-, 180-, 360-, and 720-day cumulative patency rates were 98.1%, 71.0%, 52.6%, and 42.1%, respectively, with a mean patency time of 552.9 +/- 88.2 days and a median patency time of 639.00 +/- 310.00 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 31.40-1246.60) days. The 60-, 180-, 360-, and 720-day cumulative survival rates for the total study population were 74.1%, 27.1%, 17.2%, and 13.8%, respectively, with a median survival time of 113 +/- 27.29 (95% CI, 59.51-166.49) days. In the univariate analysis, the following six variables were significantly associated with the prognosis: (1) HCC type; (2) Child-Pugh grade; (3) MPV stenosis/occlusion; (4) arteriovenous shunt; (5) iodized oil deposition; and (6) number of TACE procedure. In addition, having diffuse-type HCC and Child-Pugh grade B disease were each independent factors associated with decreased survival time in the multivariate analysis. PTPVS-TACE is feasible and may be useful to control HCC invading the MPV.

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of transhepatic arterial infusion of the mixture of epirubicin and microspheres as the embolization materials for treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: The mixture was made of 10-60 mg epirubicin (Pfizer) mixed with 300-500 microm microspheres in 0.5-2 ml (Contour SE Boston Scientific), which was used for embolizating the artery supplying HCC. Changes of leucocyte counts, liver function, serum AFP level, response of tumor to TACE and complications related to embolization were analyzed before and after TACE., Results: 136 HCC patients (male/female: 91/45, mean age: 54.8 +/- 13.3 years) were studied. After TACE, the liver function was damaged and tumor size shrunken significantly (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Transhepatic arterial chemoembolization using the mixture of epirubicin and microspheres for embolizating is safe and effective for the treatment of HCC, but the amount of embolization material should be chosen carefully in order to avoid liver function failure.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficiency of epirubicin in the treatment of malignant obstructive jaundice (MOJ)., Methods: Thirty-nine patients with diagnosis of MOJ, whose serum total bilirubin (TB) had not dropped to normal level after stent placement or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, received trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE). During TACE, epirubicin emulsion containing pharmorubicin at dose of 30 mg/m(2) was used. The toxicity and hepatic injury was observed according to WHO anticancer drug toxicity criterion and Child-Pugh classification criterion, respectively. The time of jaundice recurrence and survival were also observed during follow-up., Results: Median total serum bilirubin in 39 patients was 72.7 micromol/L (range: 52.1 - 91.4 micromol/L) before TACE. The dose of pharmorubicin was 40 - 60 mg with a median of 55.0 mg and the amount of lipiodol was 2 - 25 ml. Decrease in white blood cell count was observed: grade I in 41.0% of patients, grade II in 35.9% and grade III - IV in 15.4%. Grade III - IV nausea and vomiting developed in 100% of the patients. Hepatic injury became aggravated in 8 from A to B class patients, in one from A to C class, and in 3 from B to C class according to Child-Pugh classification criterion. No cardiac toxicity was observed in this series. The median survival time was 6.0 months with a range of 2 to 72 months. Jaundice recurred in 19 patients (48.7%) with a medium jaundice recurrence time of 9.0 months (range: 2 - 20 months)., Conclusion: Epirubicin-lipiodol emulsion at a dose of 30 mg/m(2) is safe and efficient in the management of patients with malignant obstructive jaundice with total serum bilirubin between 51 and 100 micromol/L after biliary drainage.

Objectives: To analyze the MRI manifestations and pathological changes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with lipiodol., Methods: 23 patients with 31 HCC lesions treated by TACE underwent MRI examination within 1 week before their surgical resections. MRI was performed with SE sequence (T1WI and FSE T2WI) and FMPSPGR sequence dynamic multi-phase contrast scans. All resected specimens were cut into 5-10mm thick slices, corresponding to the same plane as that of MRI scans. The specimens were wholly embedded in paraffin, serial sections made and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The MRI findings were thus compared with the pathology of the specimen sections., Results: (1) MRI findings: In all 31 lesions, the signal intensity of lesions varied and was mostly heterogeneous on SE T1WI and T2WI images. Three lesions were inhomogeneous hyper-intensity and the other 28 lesions were iso- or hypo-intensity on FMPSPGR plain scannings. Twenty-two lesions were enhanced on early-phase dynamic scanning, and no enhancement was found in the other 9 lesions. Partial enhancement was also seen in 6 lesions on delay-phase dynamic scanning. (2) Pathologically, no coagulation necrosis was found in 2 specimens, but 6 lesions showed complete coagulation necrosis and 23 showed various degrees of it. The other pathological changes found included intra-tumoral hemorrhage (n=10), intra-lesional fibrotic septa formation (n=5), capsule-like fibrotic tissue proliferation around the lesions (n=12), inflammatory infiltration (n=28), focal mucoid degeneration (n=2), focal hyaline degeneration (n=2), and lipiodol retention (n=6). (3) Radiological-pathological correlation study: hyper-intense areas on T1WI corresponded to areas of coagulation necrosis with or without hemorrhage and of residual viable tumor; iso- and hypo-intense corresponded to areas of coagulation necrosis or residual viable tumor. Hyper-intense areas on T2WI corresponded to those of residual viable tumor or coagulation necrosis with hemorrhage, and iso-intense areas corresponded to those of coagulation necrosis, small residual viable tumor or intra-lesional fibrotic septa formation, and hypo-intense areas corresponded to those of coagulation necrosis or intra-lesional fibrotic septa formation. Areas of enhancement within the lesions on the early-phase dynamic-contrast images corresponded to areas of residual viable tumors, while areas of no enhancement were those of coagulation necrosis, hemorrhage, intra-lesional fibrotic septa formation or small residual viable tumors. Areas of enhancement on the delay-phase dynamic scanning were those of residual viable tumors or intra-lesional fibrotic septa formation, while no enhancement corresponded to the areas of residual viable tumors, coagulation necrosis, and hemorrhage. Areas of enhancement on the delay-phase dynamic scanning corresponded to those areas of fibrosis tissue or residual viable tumors. Inflammatory infiltration was found in areas of different signal intensity on MRI images., Conclusions: (1) Different pathological changes in HCCs after TACE are represented by various signal intensities on SE sequence images. The only area of hypo-intensity on T2WI has a specificity in representing coagulation necrosis. (2) FMPSPGR sequence dynamic MRI is superior to SE sequence in demonstrating and determining the necrosis and residual viable tumor. Enhanced areas within the lesions on the early-phase dynamic-contrast images represent residual viable tumors and the enhancement of capsule on early-phase dynamic-contrast images also represent subcapsular residual viable tumors. (3) MRI can demonstrate accurately the areas of necrosis and residual viable HCC tissues after TACE and evaluate the effect of TACE.