[Evaluation of the effect of transcatheter arterial embolization as preoperative therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma].

From May 1982 till Nov. 1984, we performed 90 hepatic resection for primary or metastatic liver tumor. Preoperative transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed on 14 of them. All resected specimens of 14 cases were examined histologically. Effectiveness of TEA was estimated by the ratio of the necrotic area to the whole area of the tumor. Necrosis of the main tumor more than 90% was found in 10 of 14 cases, though necrosis of the daughter nodules was detected in only one of six cases. In hepatectomized patients, two-year-survival of the preoperative TAE cases had not been statistically improved compared with the non-TAE cases.