Short term efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization of patients with mid-late stage liver cancer

Objective To observe the short-term efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of mid-late stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Total 53 patients with mid-late stage primary liver carcinoma in the Second Hospital of Ningbo from October, 2011 to October, 2013 were selected as the research objects, according to the tumor size, they were assigned into small HCC group (less than 5 cm) and large HCC group (diameter > 5cm). All patients were treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization by percutaneous femoral artery puncture, the intubation inserted into the hepatic artery or right hepatic artery injection, cisplatin + fluorouracil and mitomycin + 5-FU, interval of one month before reperfusion, repeated 3-4 times. The improvement of symptoms and the effect of treatment before and after the intervention were evaluated. Results After the treatment, the appetite was improved in 30 cases, abdominal pain improved in 28 cases, weight gain in 23 cases, especially in the small HCC group, there was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0. 05); AFP decreased in 23 cases, most in small HCC group AFP (P < 0. 05); after the treatment, among 53 patients, there were 36 cases of CR + PR (67. 9%), especially in the small HCC group (83. 3%, P < 0. 05); When compared with that before the treatment, ALT and AST in 53 patients were significantly improved (P < 0. 05), the levels of ALT, AST and TBIL in large HCC group were higher than those of small HCC group (P <0. 05); Among the 53 patients, the 1-, 2-and 3-year survival rates were 60. 4%, 47. 2% and 24. 5%, respectively, the 1-and 2-year survival rates in the small HCC group was higher than that of large HCC group (P < 0. 05), however, there was no significant difference in the 3-year survival rate between the two groups (P > 0. 05). Karnofsky score in the small HCC group was higher than that of large HCC group (P < 0. 05). Conclusion The transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in the treatment of mid-late stage liver cancer can effectively improve the short-term efficacy, and the outcome is related with tumor size.