Liver fibrosis and five year survival of hepatocellular cancer cases undergoing transcatheter arterial chemo embolization using small doses

Abstract

Objective: To investigate liver fibrosis, TGF-β1 levels and curative effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with small and conventional dose perfusion chemotherapy by transcatheter arterial chemo embolization (TACE). Methods: Thirty-six hepatocellular carcinoma patients not indicated for surgical resection underwent superselective transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, divided into small dose (n=15) and conventional dose (n=21) chemotherapy groups. Results: With conventional doses, four indices of liver fibrosis focusing on hyaluronate acide (HA), human procollagen type-1 (hPC-1), collagen type-3 (2-C) and transforming growth factor-βl (TGF-β1) were obviously increased postoperative compared with preoperative (P<0.01); in contrast, with small doses there were no significant differences except for TGF-β1. Five year survival demonstrated no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: To hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated by TACE, reducing doses of chemotherapy drugs can reduce progress of liver fibrosis, without impacting on five year survival.