Outcomes of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Conventional Transarterial Chemoembolization Using Guidance Software.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of conventional transarterial chemoembolization using guidance software for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Materials and Methods: One hundred two patients with treatment-naive HCC with <= 7-cm and <= 5 lesions treated with conventional transarterial chemoembolization using guidance software were selected. Technical success was classified into 3 grades by computed tomography performed 1 week after transarterial chemoembolization: (i) A, complete embolization with a safety margin; (ii) B, entire tumor embolization without a safety margin; and (iii) C, incomplete embolization. Intrahepatic tumor recurrence was classified into 2 categories: local tumor progression (LTP) and intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR). Overall survival (OS) and tumor recurrence rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Additionally, the incidences of LTP between grade A and B tumors, IDR with/without LTP, and OS with/without LTP were compared by the log-rank test. Results: One hundred fifty-six (82.1%) tumors were determined to be grade A, 26 (13.7%) were determined to be grade B, and 8 (4.2%) were determined to be grade C. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year LTP and IDR rates were 31.7%, 49.4%, and 59.4% and 33.9%, 58.2%, and 73.3%, respectively. LTP developed more frequently in grade. B tumors than grade A twnors (P = .0016). IDR developed more frequently in patients with LTP than without LTP (P = .0004). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 96.1%, 71.1%, and 60%, respectively; the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates in patients with/without LTP were 95.7%, 69.8%, and 59.3% and 96.2%, 71.6%, and 59.4%, respectively (P = .9984). Conclusions: Transarterial chemoembolization guidance software promotes the technical success of transarterial chemoembolization and excellent OS in HCC patients.