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Percutaneous treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by means of thermal ablation (TA) has been introduced in clinical guidelines as a potentially curative treatment for the early stages of the disease since the early 2000s. Due to its safety profile and cost-effectiveness, TA can be offered as a first-line treatment for patients with HCC smaller than 3 cm. Thermal ablative techniques are in fact widely available at many centres worldwide and include radiofrequency (RF) and microwave (MW) ablation, with the latter increasingly applied in clinical practice in the last decade. Pre-clinical studies highlighted, as potential advantages of MW-based ablation, the ability to achieve higher temperatures (>100°C) and larger ablation zones in shorter times, with less susceptibility to blood flow-induced heat sink effects. Despite these advantages, there is no evidence of superior overall survival in patients treated with MW as compared to those treated with RF ablation. Local control has been proven to be superior to MW ablation with a similar complication rate. It is expected that further improvement of TA results in the treatment of HCC will result from the refinement of guidance and monitoring tools and the careful assessment of ablation margins. Thermal ablative treatments may also be performed on nodules larger than 3 cm by applying multiple devices or combining percutaneous and intra-arterial approaches. The role of novel immunotherapy regimens in combination with ablation is also currently under evaluation in clinical trials, with several potential benefits. In this review, indications, technical principles, results, and future prospects of TA for the treatment of HCC will be examined., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.)

Purpose: To assess the cost-utility of initial treatment with drug-eluting microspheres (DEM) transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) versus conventional (C)-TACE in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma considering the perspective of a Local Healthcare Authority in Italy., Materials and Methods: The economic evaluation is based on a retrospective single-center study and individual patients' data whose details have been previously reported. The impact of initial treatment with DEM-TACE or C-TACE on disease progression, mortality, and direct health costs over a lifetime horizon were simulated and compared in terms of incremental cost-utility ratio expressed as costs per quality adjusted life years (QALY). Costs included direct health costs related to the first chemoembolization procedure and all subsequent follow-up costs associated with health care resources used for disease management. Probabilistic (PSA) sensitivity analysis was used to assess the robustness of the results., Results: A total of 101 patients in each treatment group were considered. All over the time-horizon median costs were €3,145.14 and €2,158.32 in the DEM-TACE and C-TACE group, respectively (p < 0.001); while mean costs were € 24,619 and € 17,001, respectively (p < 0.001). The ICUR was 6,461.86 €/QALY when using median costs derived from the study population as input for the health-economic evaluation and 49,932.15 €/QALY when the mean costs were considered. Results from PSA highlighted that using median costs DEM-TACE was always cost-effective, while using mean costs, it was preferable only 24.7% of times., Conclusions: The higher prices of DEMs are counterbalanced by the positive impact on QALY., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The liver represents the most frequent location of metastatic disease in colorectal cancer (CRC). In oligometastatic disease, while surgery remains the mainstay of treatment, loco-regional therapies allow to locally control tumor progression and prolong survival. There is consensus in the use of transhepatic arterial radioembolization (TARE) in metastatic CRC chemorefractory patients, with liver-only or liver-dominant disease. Beyond this indication, TARE may be considered in other clinical scenarios, such as in the second-line combined with chemotherapy, as a bridge in between different lines of systemic therapies, and as ablative technique under specific circumstances. This paper outlines the current evidence for TARE in mCRC and presents possible future indications and directions., (© 2022. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE).)

Objectives: To retrospectively compare long-term outcomes of first-line drug-eluting particle (DEB)- transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and lipiodol-TACE, in patients with unresectable hepatocellular (HCC)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our database to identify adult patients with treatment-naïve unresectable HCC, who underwent TACE from 2006 to 2013. Patients were excluded in the absence of complete medical records relative to first TACE, 1-month follow-up, and/or sufficient follow-up data. Periprocedural complications, duration of hospitalization, 1-month tumor response by mRECIST, time to tumor progression (TTP) and target tumor progression (TTTP), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated., Results: Out of an initial series of 656 patients, 329 patients were excluded for unavailability of sufficient baseline and/or follow-up data. The remaining 327 patients underwent either lipiodol-TACE (n = 160) or DEB-TACE (n = 167). Patients treated with lipiodol-TACE had a significantly higher tumor burden. By propensity score, patients were matched according to baseline differences (BCLC stage, uninodular or multinodular HCC, and unilobar or bilobar HCC), resulting in 101 patients in each treatment group. Lipiodol-TACE was associated with a significantly higher incidence of adverse events (p = 0.03), and longer hospitalization (mean, 2.5 days vs 1.9 days; p = 0.03), while tumor response, TTP, and OS were comparable. In patients achieving 1-month complete response (CR) of target tumor, TTTP was significantly (p = 0.009) longer after DEB-TACE compared to lipiodol-TACE (median, 835 vs 353 days), resulting in a lower number of re-treatments during the entire follow-up (0.75 vs 1.6, p = 0.01)., Conclusion: Compared to lipiodol-TACE, DEB-TACE offers higher tolerability, reduced hospitalization, and more durable target tumor response after CR., Key Points: • Compared to lipiodol-TACE, DEB-TACE is better tolerated and has reduced side effects, which translates into shorter hospitalization. • When complete radiological response according to the mRECIST is obtained 1 month after the procedure, DEB-TACE offers a more durable local tumor control compared to lipiodol-TACE. • In these patients, the longer duration of response after DEB-TACE translates into a lower number of re-interventions., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To study the correlation between the overall coagulation zone (A) attained in percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and: (1) the hyperdense zone (C) visible in the central part of zone A on post-treatment unenhanced CT scans; (2) the deposited energy; (3) the coagulation zones observed on ex-vivo bovine liver., Materials and Methods: The post-procedural computed tomography (CT) scans of HCCs treated with a single energy deployment through the same 2450 MHz MWA system were retrospectively analyzed, retrieving the dimensions of A and C zones and the deposited energy (E). Ex-vivo bovine liver MWA with the same system were performed and analyzed to determine the same quantities by gross-pathologic examination and CT imaging., Results: A total of 101 HCC treatments were analyzed. The average coagulation volumes increased linearly with deposited energy (1.11 cc/kJ, R 2  = 0.90, 4.2 kJ ≤ E  ≤ 48 kJ), similarly to ex-vivo findings (1.38 cc/kJ, R 2  =0.97, 7.2 kJ ≤ E  ≤ 144 kJ). The long axis (L) and short axis (D) of zones A and C held a fairly constant ratio both in-vivo (L C /L A =0.43 ± 0.13; D C /D A =0.42 ± 0.10) and ex-vivo (L C /L A  = 0.49 ± 0.07; D C /D A  = 0.28 ± 0.06)., Conclusions: The average dimensions of the ablation zone induced by the considered system on HCC increase linearly with the deposited energy and are fairly well predicted by the corresponding ex-vivo dimensions. The ratio between each linear dimension of A and C zones was found to be roughly constant over a large deposited energy span, both ex-vivo and in-vivo .

The aim of the present study was to retrospectively analyze clinical outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) treated with yttrium-90 radioembolization stratified by Milan PVTT score according to PVTT extension, tumor burden, and bilirubin levels. Seventy patients were included and classified into good (n = 15; 21.4%), intermediate (n = 33; 47.1%), and dismal (n = 22; 31.4%) prognostic groups. Median overall survival durations were 24.6 mo, 13 mo (hazard ratio = 3.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-9.7; P = .016), and 5.9 mo (hazard ratio = 4.1; 95% CI, 1.4-13.4; P = .0096), respectively. The Milan score represents an easy tool to select patients with HCC with PVTT who may benefit from radioembolization., (Copyright © 2020 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To retrospectively compare early response to yttrium-90 radioembolization (Y90) according to volumetric iodine uptake (VIU) changes, Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumor 1.1 (RECIST 1.1) and modified RECIST (mRECIST) in patients with intermediate-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to explore their association with survival., Materials and Methods: Twenty-four patients treated with Y90 and evaluated with dual-energy computed tomography before and 6 weeks after treatment were included. VIU was measured on late arterial phase spectral images; 6-week VIU response was defined as: complete response (CR, absence of enhancing tumor), partial response (PR, ≥ 15% VIU reduction), progressive disease (PD, ≥ 10% VIU increase) and stable disease (criteria of CR/PR/PD not met). RECIST 1.1 and mRECIST were evaluated at 6 weeks and 6 months. Responders included CR and PR. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared by Cox regression analysis., Results: High intraobserver and interobserver agreements were observed in VIU measurements (k > 0.98). VIU identified a higher number of responders (18 patients, 75%), compared to RECIST 1.1 (12.5% at 6 weeks and 23.8% at 6 months) and mRECIST (29.2% at 6 weeks and 61.9% at 6 months). There was no significant correlation between OS and RECIST 1.1 (P = 0.45 at 6 weeks; P = 0.21 at 6 months) or mRECIST (P = 0.38 at 6 weeks; P = 0.79 at 6 months); median OS was significantly higher in VIU responders (17.2 months) compared to non-responders (7.4 months) (P = 0.0022; HR 8.85; 95% CI 1.29-88.1)., Conclusion: VIU is highly reproducible; as opposite to mRECIST and RECIST 1.1, early VIU response correlates with OS after Y90 in intermediate-advanced HCC patients.

Background: Trans-arterial radio-embolization (TARE) is an emerging treatment for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TARE may compete with systemic chemotherapy, sorafenib, in intermediate stage patients with prior chemoembolization failure or advanced patients with tumoral macrovascular invasion with no extra-hepatic spread and good liver function. We performed a budget impact analysis (BIA) evaluating the expected changes in the expenditure for the Italian Healthcare Service within scenarios of increased utilization of TARE in place of sorafenib over the next five years., Methods: Starting from patient level data from three oncology centres in Italy, a Markov model was developed to project on a lifetime horizon survivals and costs associated to matched cohorts of intermediate-advanced HCC patients treated with TARE or sorafenib. The initial model has been integrated with epidemiological data to perform a BIA comparing the current scenario with 20 and 80% utilization rates for TARE and sorafenib, respectively, with increasing utilization rates of TARE of 30, 40 and 50% over the next 1, 3 and 5 years., Results: Compared to the current scenario, progressively increasing utilization rates of TARE over sorafenib in the next 5 years is expected to save globally about 7 million Euros., Conclusions: Radioembolization can be considered a valuable treatment option for patients with intermediate-advanced HCC. These findings enrich the evidence about the economic sustainability of TARE in comparison to standard systemic chemotherapy within the context of a national healthcare service.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of radiological stage-1 ALPPS, associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy, by combining portal vein embolization (PVE) with percutaneous intrahepatic split by ablation (PISA)., Materials and Methods: Three patients (mean age 65.0 ± 7.3 years) underwent PVE and PISA. PISA was performed 21 days after PVE by microwave ablation to create a continuous intrahepatic cutting plane. Abdominal CT examinations were performed before and after PVE and PISA. The future liver remnant (FLR) volume was calculated by semiautomatic segmentation, and increase was reported as a percentage of the pre-procedural volume. The FLR/body weight (FLR/BW) ratio was calculated; a ratio greater than 0.8% was considered sufficient for guaranteeing adequate liver function after surgery. The liver function before and after PISA was also evaluated by 99mTc-mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy. Patients' laboratory tests, performance status, ability to walk were assessed before and after PVE and PISA procedures., Results: No procedure-related complications were recorded. The FLR volume increase in each patient was 42.0, 33.1 and 30.4% within 21 days of PVE and 109.3, 68.1 and 71.7% within 10 days after PISA. The FLR/BW ratios were 0.76, 0.66, 0.63% and 1.13, 0.83, 0.83% after PVE and PISA procedures, respectively. Two patients underwent successful right hepatectomy; in one patient, despite 1.13% FLR/BW, surgery was not performed because of the absolute rejection of blood transfusion due to the patient's religious convictions., Conclusion: Radiological stage-1 ALPPS is a feasible, minimally invasive option to be further investigated to become an effective alternative to surgical stage-1 ALPPS.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents one of the few cancers for which locoregional treatments are recognised as being able to cure and/or prolong survival and are included in international guidelines. This is due to the unique nature of HCC, in most cases occurring in patients with underlying virus- or alcohol-related cirrhosis. The treatment choice in patients with HCC is therefore driven not only by tumour staging, as in the great majority of cancers, but also by careful evaluation of liver function and physical status. Another specific feature of HCC is that it is the only tumour that can be cured by organ transplantation, with the aim of treating both the cancer and underlying liver disease. These characteristics configure a complex scenario and prompt the need for close cooperation among interventional oncologists, surgeons, hepatologists, and anaesthesiologists. In patients with limited hepatic disease, preserved hepatic function and good performance status, categorised as very early and early-stage HCC according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification, image-guided tumour ablation is included among the curative treatments. More than half of patients with HCC are, however, diagnosed late, despite the widespread implementation of surveillance programmes, when curative treatments cannot be applied. For patients presenting with multinodular HCC and relatively preserved liver function, absence of cancer-related symptoms, and no evidence of vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) is the current standard of care. Although anti-tumour activity and promising survival results has been reported in cohorts of patients with advanced HCC treated with radio-embolisation, systemic treatment with the multi-kinase inhibitor, sorafenib, is still recommended for patients at this stage. In this article, current treatment strategies for HCC according to tumour stage are discussed, underlining the latest advances in the literature and technical developments., (Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) is the treatment of choice for intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Doxorubicin-loaded drug-eluting beads (DEB)-TACE is expected to improve the performance of conventional TACE (cTACE). The aim of this study was to compare DEB-TACE with cTACE in terms of time-to-tumour progression (TTP), adverse events (AEs), and 2-year survival., Methods: Patients were randomised one-to-one to undergo cTACE or DEB-TACE and followed-up for at least 2 years or until death. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation was repeated 'on-demand'., Results: We enrolled 177 patients: 89 underwent DEB-TACE and 88 cTACE. The median number of procedures was 2 in each arm, and the in-hospital stay was 3 and 4 days, respectively (P=0.323). No differences were found in local and overall tumour response. The median TTP was 9 months in both arms. The AE incidence and severity did not differ between the arms, except for post-procedural pain, more frequent and severe after cTACE (P<0.001). The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 86.2% and 56.8% after DEB-TACE and 83.5% and 55.4% after cTACE (P=0.949). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), serum albumin, and tumour number independently predicted survival (P<0.05)., Conclusions: The DEB-TACE and the cTACE are equally effective and safe, with the only advantage of DEB-TACE being less post-procedural abdominal pain.

Purpose: This study was designed to provide an overview of the practice of locoregional treatments for HCC by the Italian centers of Interventional Radiology (IR) with particular reference to transarterial modalities., Methods: A questionnaire of 11 questions on locoregional treatment of HCC was e-mailed to 134 Italian IR centers., Results: The response rate was 64.9% (87/135 centers). Of 8,959 procedures in 2011, 67% were transarterial treatments, 31% percutaneous ablations, and 2% Y90-radioembolizations. Regarding (chemo)embolization, approximately 59% of procedures were performed in the intermediate stage, 28% in the early stage, and 12.8% in the advanced stage. TACE techniques varied greatly; approximately 52% of procedures were performed with drug-eluting particles and 32% with lipiodol, drug, and reabsorbable particles. In selected cases, 53 of 78 (68%) centers combine chemoembolization and ablation, whereas 28 centers (35.9%) combine Sorafenib and chemoembolization. In 2011, 13 of 78 (16.7%) responding centers performed Y90-radioembolization, with approximately 52% of procedures performed in the advanced stage and 46% in the intermediate stage. Approximately 62% of Y90-radioembolizations were performed using resin spheres and 38% using glass spheres., Conclusions: With almost 9,000 procedures performed each year, locoregional treatments of HCC, most of all transarterial (chemo)embolizations, represent a major part of daily clinical practice in many Italian IR centers. The high variability in responses regarding transarterial treatments for HCC patients highlights the need for solid scientific evidence allowing better definition of clinical indications and standardization of technical approaches.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate agreement between modified RECIST (mRECIST) assessed at Computed Tomography (CT) and pathology in a large series of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were transplanted after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)., Materials and Methods: IRB approval was obtained. The study included 178 patients (M/F=155/23; mean age 55.8 ± 6.3 years) with HCC who were transplanted after TACE from January 1996 to December 2010 and with at least one CT examination before liver transplantation (LT). Two blinded independent readers retrospectively reviewed CT examinations, to assess tumor response to TACE according to mRECIST. Patients were classified in responders (complete and partial response) and non-responders (stable and progressive disease). On the explanted livers, percentage of tumor necrosis was classified as 100, >50 and <50%., Results: The mean interval between latest CT and LT was 57.4 ± 39.8 days. At latest CT examination, the objective response rate was 78.1% (139/178), with 86 cases (48.3%) of complete response (CR). A good intra- (k=0.75 and 0.86) and inter-observer (k=0.81) agreement was obtained. On a per-patient basis, agreement between mRECIST and pathology was obtained in 120 patients (67.4%), with 19 cases (10.7%) of underestimation and 39 cases (21.9%) of overestimation of tumor response at CT. CT sensitivity and specificity in differentiating between responders and non-responders were 93 and 82.9%, respectively. Out of 302 nodules, sensitivity and specificity of CT in detecting complete necrosis were 87.5 and 68.9%, respectively., Conclusions: CT can overestimate tumor response after TACE. Nonetheless, mRECIST assessed at CT after TACE are reproducible and reliable in differentiating responders and non-responders., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To assess feasibility of proper hepatic artery catheterization using a 3D model obtained from preprocedural computed tomographic angiography (CTA), fused with real-time fluoroscopy, during transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma., Methods: Twenty consecutive cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transarterial chemoembolization were prospectively enrolled onto the study. The early arterial phase axial images of the preprocedural CTA were postprocessed on an independent workstation connected to the angiographic system (Innova 4100; GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI), obtaining a 3D volume rendering image (VR) that included abdominal aorta, splanchnic arteries, and first and second lumbar vertebrae. The VR image was manually registered to the real-time X-ray fluoroscopy, with the lumbar spine used as the reference. The VR image was then used as guidance to selectively catheterize the proper hepatic artery. The procedure was considered successful when performed with no need for intraarterial contrast injections or angiographic acquisitions., Results: The procedure was successful in 19 (95 %) of 20 patients. In one patient, celiac trunk angiography was required for the presence of a significant ostial stenosis that was underestimated at computed tomography. Time for image reconstruction and registration was <10 min in all cases., Conclusion: The use of preprocedural CTA model with fluoroscopy enables confident and direct catheterization of the proper hepatic artery with no need for preliminary celiac trunk angiography, thus reducing radiation exposure and contrast media administration.

Aim: To assess clinical outcome of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in a series of patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), within Milan criteria, but clinically unfit for liver transplantation (OLT)., Methods: From January 2006 to May 2009, 67 patients (43 males, mean age 70 ± 7.6 years) with very early or early-stage unresectable HCC, within Milan selection criteria but clinically unfit for OLT, underwent TACE. The primary endpoint of the study was overall survival. Secondary endpoints were: safety, liver toxicity, 1-month tumour response according to the amended RECIST criteria, time to local and distant intrahepatic tumour recurrence and time to radiological progression., Results: Two major periprocedural complications occurred (3%), consisting of liver failure. Periprocedural mortality rate was 1.5% (1 patient). A significant increase in ALT and bilirubin levels 24h after treatment was reported, with progressive decrease at discharge. At 1-month follow-up, complete and partial tumour response rates were 67.2% and 29.8%, respectively, with two cases of progressive disease. Mean follow-up was 37.3 ± 15 months. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 90.9%, 86.1%, and 80.5%, respectively. Median expected time to local tumour recurrence and intrahepatic tumour recurrence were 7.9 and 13.8 months, respectively. Radiological disease progression was observed in 12 patients (17.9%) with a mean expected time of 26.5 months., Conclusion: In patients with early-stage HCC, clinically excluded from OLT and unfit for surgery or percutaneous ablation, TACE is a safe and effective option, with favourable long-term survival., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare short- and long-term clinical outcomes after conventional transarterial chemoembolization and drug-eluting bead (DEB) transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Materials and Methods: Patients with unresectable HCC unsuitable for ablative therapies were randomly assigned to undergo conventional or DEB chemoembolization. The primary endpoints of the study were safety, toxicity, and tumor response at 1 month. Secondary endpoints were number of repeated chemoembolization cycles, time to recurrence and local recurrence, time to radiologic progression, and survival., Results: In total, 67 patients (mean age, 70 y ± 7.7) were evaluated. Mean follow-up was 816 days ± 361. Two periprocedural major complications occurred (2.9%) that were treated by medical therapy without the need for other interventions. A significant increase in alanine aminotransferase levels 24 hours after treatment was reported, which was significantly greater after conventional chemoembolization (n = 34) than after DEB chemoembolization (n = 33; preprocedure, 60 IU ± 44 vs 74 IU ± 62, respectively; at 24 h, 216 IU ± 201 vs 101 IU ± 89, respectively; P = 0.007). No other differences were observed in liver toxicity between groups. At 1 month, complete and partial tumor response rates were 70.6% and 29.4%, respectively, in the conventional chemoembolization group and 51.5% and 48.5%, respectively, in the DEB chemoembolization group. No differences were observed between groups in time to recurrence and local recurrence, radiologic progression, and survival., Conclusions: Conventional chemoembolization and DEB chemoembolization have a limited impact on liver function on short- and long-term follow-up and are associated with favorable clinical outcomes., (Copyright © 2011 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the clinical outcome of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who exceeded the Milan criteria, who underwent transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) before orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), to determine the value of computed tomography (CT)-based tumor response to TACE as a preoperative selection criterion for OLT., Materials and Methods: The study included 33 patients with HCC who exceeded the Milan criteria and underwent OLT after TACE. Informed written consent was obtained before TACE and OLT. Institutional review board approval was not required. Tumor response to TACE was evaluated at 1 month with CT according to amended Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) guidelines. In the explanted liver, degree of tumor necrosis (> or = 90%, 50%-89%, or < 50%), residual tumor stage and grade, and presence of microvascular invasion were assessed. Follow-up after OLT ranged from 1 to 143 months., Results: After TACE, CT showed complete tumor response (CR) in 18 (55%) patients. On the explanted liver, tumor necrosis was rated 90% or greater in 20 (61%) patients, with a good correlation with CT. Microvascular invasion was observed in nine (27%) of 33 patients; none of them were reported to have a CR at CT. The 5-year cumulative survival rate after OLT was 72.5%; it was significantly (P = .003) higher in patients with a CR (94.4%) compared with patients with a partial response (PR) (45.4%) and stable disease (50%). The 5-year cumulative recurrence-free rate after OLT was 74.4%; it was not affected by the tumor nodule size and number, whereas it was significantly (P = .008) higher in patients with a CR (94.4%) compared with patients with a PR (46.7%) and stable disease (50%)., Conclusion: In patients with HCC who exceeded the Milan criteria, a CR after TACE, on the basis of amended RECIST guidelines, is associated with excellent posttransplantation outcomes. Therefore, 1-month response to TACE assessed at CT may represent a valid selection criterion for OLT., (RSNA, 2010)

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) versus repeated TACE in the treatment of large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Materials and Methods: Fifty-three patients with cirrhosis and a large HCC (main tumor, 3.1-8.0 cm in diameter with no more than two daughter nodules) were enrolled in a prospective, randomized study. Twenty-six patients underwent a single TACE session followed by PEI (TACE-PEI group), whereas 27 patients underwent two to five TACE sessions (TACE group). Both groups of patients were similar with regard to liver function. Follow-up ranged from 8 to 39 months., Results: Complete therapeutic responses were higher (P < .05) and tumor recurrences during follow-up were lower (P < .05) in the TACE-PEI group than in the TACE group. Patients in the TACE-PEI group survived longer than those in the TACE group, although the difference was not significant (P > .1). The rates of survival without recurrence were better in the TACE-PEI group than in the TACE group (P < .05)., Conclusion: Use of a single TACE session combined with PEI is more effective than repeated TACE in the treatment of large HCC.

Accurate staging is necessary in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients to choose the most appropriate therapeutic approach. In the present study, 50 patients with one or more HCC lesions were prospectively examined with ultrasonography (US), Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and CT after intraarterial injection of Lipiodol (Lipiodol CT). The study was aimed at suggesting the most appropriate diagnostic work-up for HCC staging. A hundred and twenty-one HCC lesions were detected in the 50 examined patients by means of the above imaging techniques: namely, 21 patients had single lesions, 15 had two lesions, 4 had three lesions and 10 patients had more than three lesions (range: 4-12). US detected 98/121 lesions (81%), CT 92/121 (76%), MRI 90/121 (74%), DSA 102/121 (84%) and Lipiodol CT 115/121 lesions (95%). The sensitivity of Lipiodol CT was significantly higher than that of all the other imaging techniques (p < 0.05). The detection rate of each technique was correlated with the size of the tumors, which were divided into three groups: lesions < or = 1 cm (no. 28), lesions ranging 1.1 to 3 cm (no. 43) and lesions > 3 cm (no. 50). In the lesions < or = 1 cm, detection rates ranged 29-93%; in this group a statistically significant difference (p < 0.01) was observed between Lipiodol CT and all the other imaging modalities. In the lesions 1.1-3 cm, detection rates ranged 77-93%; in this group a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed between Lipiodol CT and MRI. In the lesions > 3 cm, sensitivity was very high for all imaging modalities--i.e., 94% or higher; in this group no statistically significant difference was observed among the various imaging modalities. Combined US and CT detected 104/121 lesions (86%), US and MRI 101/121 (83%) and CT and MRI 98/121 (81%). The combination of US, CT and MRI allowed the detection of 107/121 lesions (88%), which markedly improved the results of US alone (the statistical index was just above the one usually considered to be significant). In conclusion, our data suggest the following staging work-up for HCC: (a) US as the first step diagnostic tool; (b) CT and possibly MRI, in the cases with a single lesion at US and in the patients eligible for surgery; (c) Lipiodol CT in the cases which CT and MRI confirmed to be single lesions.

Purpose: To investigate the reliability of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the evaluation of the response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) followed by percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI)., Material and Methods: Between January 1991 and November 1992, 20 patients (15 men and five women, aged 53-73 years [mean, 64.6 years]) with 31 HCC lesions underwent CT and MR imaging before and after treatment with combined TAE and PEI., Results: Twenty-seven tumors, which were hypointense on post-treatment T2-weighted images and on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images, were seen to be necrotic at biopsy. In four cases of incomplete necrosis, viable tumor was hyperintense on T2-weighted images and was enhanced after administration of contrast material. CT provided a larger spectrum of imaging features as a result of the presence of both hyperattenuating areas (caused by retention of iodized oil) and hypoattenuating areas (due to ethanol-induced necrosis)., Conclusion: CT and MR imaging findings proved useful in the evaluation of the response of HCC to combined TAE and PEI.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) followed by percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions., Methods: Fifteen patients with HCC were treated by means of TAE followed by 6-16 ethanol injections. In 10 patients, the HCC was solitary (3-8 cm); 3 patients had 1, and 2 patients had 2 daughter nodules (3 cm or smaller) in addition. In 12 of 15 main tumors and in 4 of 7 daughter nodules, a tumor capsule was observed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging., Results: Combined treatment with TAE and PEI resulted in complete necrosis of 12 of 15 main tumors and 7 of 7 daughter nodules on biopsy. Treatment failure (incomplete necrosis) occurred in 3 unencapsulated main tumors. The 1-year survival rate in 10 patients was 100%., Conclusion: The combination of TAE and PEI proved to be an effective treatment for large HCC, including those with 1-2 small daughter nodules. The presence of a tumor capsule significantly correlates (p < 0.05) with a favorable outcome of treatment.