The combined TACE and RFA procedures were performed on an inpatient basis in all tumors. Two interventional radiologists (each one who have over 15 years of experience in interventional radiology procedures) performed the combined TACE and RFA procedures.
TACE was performed with a 5 French RH catheter (Cook, Bloomington, Ind), a Cobra catheter (Cook), or a microcatheter (Progreat, Terumo, Tokyo, Japan) being inserted as carefully as possible through the lobar, segmental, or subsegmental arteries, depending on both the tumor location and the hepatic functional reserve of the patient. To start, an emulsion of 2–12 ml of Lipiodol (Lipiodol, Guerbet, Aulnay-Sous-Bois, France), 60–90 mg of cisplatin, and 20–40 mg of doxorubicin hydrochloride was injected into the feeding artery. The dosage of Lipiodol, cisplatin, and doxorubicin was based on tumor size and vascularity, the presence or absence of an arterioportal shunt, and underlying liver function. Once the emulsion injection was complete, gelatin sponge particles (300–500 µm) mixed with contrast medium were administered into the feeding arteries until stoppage of arterial flow was achieved.
TACE was performed with a 5 French RH catheter (Cook, Bloomington, Ind), a Cobra catheter (Cook), or a microcatheter (Progreat, Terumo, Tokyo, Japan) being inserted as carefully as possible through the lobar, segmental, or subsegmental arteries, depending on both the tumor location and the hepatic functional reserve of the patient. To start, an emulsion of 2–12 ml of Lipiodol (Lipiodol, Guerbet, Aulnay-Sous-Bois, France), 60–90 mg of cisplatin, and 20–40 mg of doxorubicin hydrochloride was injected into the feeding artery. The dosage of Lipiodol, cisplatin, and doxorubicin was based on tumor size and vascularity, the presence or absence of an arterioportal shunt, and underlying liver function. Once the emulsion injection was complete, gelatin sponge particles (300–500 µm) mixed with contrast medium were administered into the feeding arteries until stoppage of arterial flow was achieved.