ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) with high-dose iodized oil on hepatic tumor growth and metastasis in rabbits.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-eight rabbits with implanted VX2 tumor were randomly divided into control group, routine dose iodized oil TACE group and high-dose iodized oil TACE group to receive perfusion through the hepatic artery with 0.9% saline, 5 mg adriamycin with routine-dose iodized oil, and 5 mg adriamycin with high-dose iodized oil, respectively. The tumor volume, tumor necrosis, intrahepatic and lung metastasis were examined 2 weeks after TACE.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant difference was found in the tumor volume between the 3 groups before TACE (P>0.05). The rabbits receiving TACE with iodized oil, especially at the high dose, showed significantly reduced tumor volume as compared with the control group (P<0.01). TACE with high-dose iodized oil resulted in significantly increased tumor necrosis rate in comparison with the control group and TACE with a routine dose of iodized oil (P<0.05); high-dose iodized oil TACE was also associated with reduced intrahepatic and lung metastasis as compared routine dose iodized oil TACE (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TACE with high-dose iodized oil can obviously inhibit the growth and intrahepatic and lung metastasis of transplanted VX2 liver tumor in rabbits .</p>