Résumé
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate postoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the prevention of postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In TACE group, 987 HCC patients without any evidence of recurrence at the first TACE were treated by prophylactic TACE postoperatively within one or two months. In the control group, 643 HCC patients were not treated by prophylactic TACE for comparison. The correlation between the first recurrence and prophylactic TACE was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Recurrence rate in the TACE and control group was 22.2% (219/987) and 61.6% (396/643) within 6 months (P < 0.01); 78% (770/987) and 74.7% (480/643) within 12 months (P > 0.05); 88.6% (874/987) and 80.1% (515/643) within 18 months (P < 0.01), respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Postoperative prophylactic TACE may be able to suppress the recurrence formation for HCC patients with or without definite residual lesion within 6 months.</p>