Purpose: To evaluate damage to cirrhotic liver tissue after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Materials and methods: TACE was performed in 111 patients with HCC that involved less than 30% of the liver. Baseline liver function was evaluated with Child-Pugh scores and other indicators. Eighty-two patients had Child-Pugh class A disease, 27 had class B disease, and two had class C disease. All patients underwent chemotherapy followed by gelatin sponge particle embolization in the proper ("complete" embolization; n = 69) or right or left main ("partial" embolization; n = 42) hepatic artery. Liver function was assessed 4 months later, and 95 patients underwent a second TACE (complete embolization in 57, partial in 38). Liver function was again assessed 4 months later in 60 patients.
Results: No patient died. Child-Pugh scores increased in all patients from a mean 5.96 to 6.28 (not significant) and 6.51 (P =. 05) after first and second TACEs, respectively. In patients with class A disease, scores increased from a mean 5.37 to 5.73 (P =.01) and 5.89 (P =.001) after first and second TACEs, respectively; in patients with class B disease, scores changed from a mean of 7.48 to 7.67 and 7.30 after first and second TACEs, respectively (not significant).
Conclusion: TACE does not induce significant long-term worsening of liver function in patients with class A or B cirrhosis.