Liver Fibrosis and Five Year Survival of Hepatocellular Cancer Cases Undergoing Transcatheter Arterial Chemo Embolization Using Small Doses

Abstract

<br/><b>Objective</b>: 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).<br/><b>Methods</b>: Thirty-six hepatocellular carcinoma patients not indicated for surgical resection underwent superselectivetranscatheter arterial chemoembolization, divided into small dose (n=15) and conventional dose (n=21)chemotherapy groups. <br/><b>Results</b>: With conventional doses, four indices of liver fibrosis focusing on hyaluronateacide (HA), human procollagen type-Ⅲ (hPC-Ⅲ), collagen type-Ⅳ (Ⅳ-C) and transforming growth factor-βl(TGF-β1) were obviously increased postoperative compared with preoperative (P<0.01); in contrast, with smalldoses there were no significant differences except for TGF-β1. Five year survival demonstrated no significantdifferences between the two groups (P>0.05). <br/><b>Conclusion</b>: To hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated byTACE, reducing doses of chemotherapy drugs can reduce progress of liver fibrosis, without impacting on fiveyear survival.