DETERMINATION OF THE OPTIMUM DOSE LEVEL OF LIPIODOL IN TRANSCATHETER ARTERIAL EMBOLIZATION OF PRIMARY HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA BASED ON RETROSPECTIVE MULTIVARIATE-ANALYSIS

Purpose: Multivariate analysis was used to study the effectiveness and optimum dose level of Lipiodol (LP) in transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A total of 219 cases of nodular type HCC, with a tumor diameter less than 7 cm, were studied. TAE was performed using both Gelfoam sponge (GS) and LP in 158 cases; in the remaining 61 cases only GS was used. Results: Statistical stepwise variable selection revealed that only LP had a negative T-value, suggesting that LP is a useful factor for prognosis. The most favorable effect on patient prognosis was obtained with an LP dose level (expressed in mm) of 1-1.5 times the absolute value of the tumor diameter (expressed in cm). Conclusion: A significant difference (p < 0.01, log-rank test) in survival was found between the GS with LP group and the GS only group, using Cox's proportional hazard model.