INTRATUMORAL LIPIODOL ACCUMULATION PATTERN AND TUMOR RESPONSE IN TRANSCATHETER ARTERIAL CHEMOEMBOLIZATION (TACE) FOR THE TREATMENT OF UNRESECTABLE HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA (HCC) PATIENTS
Ali M. Moshibah and Dr. Zubair Ayoub Syed*
ABSTRACT
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a commonly occurring hepatic malignancy. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has proved to be an effective method of palliative therapy for unresectable multifocal HCC without vascular invasion or metastasis. The study design is a retrospective record of all patients that underwent Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) procedure for advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) over a periode of one year in a single center in Saudi Arabia. There are four types of lipiodol deposition, according to classification defined as follows: type 1, diffuse homogeneous opacification of the tumor focus and around it; type 2, homogeneous opacification of the majority of the mass; type 3, weak heterogeneous opacification; type 4, very weak or no opacification of the tumor focus. 9 (26.47%), 5 (14.7%), 10 (29.41%) and 10 (29.41%) patients showed types I, II, III, and IV lipiodol deposition, respectively. Univariate analysis demonstrated that local tumor response and intra-tumoral lipiodol covering is a significant predictor of tumoral response at (P<0.05).
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