Improved survival with resection after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: This retrospective study was undertaken to analyze the outcome of hepatic resection in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) that shrunk after transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in 65 patients with unresectable HCCs between June 1987 and September 1996. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among these 65 patients, the median diameter of the tumor was 9.9 cm (5.6-20.0) prior to the first TACE, after 1-6 times of TACE (median 3) the median tumor diameter reduced to 3.7 cm (1.9-12.5) prior to resection. The duration between the last TACE treatment and sequential resection varied from 1 to 9 months (median 2.5). Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were abnormal in 39 out of the 65 patients. In AFP producing HCCs, the AFP level returned to normal (