ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to retrospectively clarify the current status in Japan of TACE using Lipiodol together with anticancer agents to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We retrospectively surveyed 4,659 (average annual total) procedures for HCC over the years 2002-2004 at 17 institutions included in the TACE Study Group of Japan. The survey included six questions that were related mainly to TACE and Lipiodol for HCC treatment. The most frequently applied among the 4,659 procedures at the 17 institutions were TACE (2,310; 50%) and local ablation (1,395; 30%). Five of the institutions applied 201-300 procedures and 4 applied 101-200. Lipiodol was used in "all procedures" and in "90% or more" at seven and nine institutions, respectively. Almost all institutions applied 4-6 (mean, 5) ml of Lipiodol during TACE to treat tumors 5 cm in diameter. In conclusion, this survey clarified that TACE using Lipiodol and anticancer agents is a popular option for HCC treatment in Japan.
