Sp microcatheter

TACE was performed by interventional radiologists with more than 5 years of experience. After a successful femoral artery puncture, a catheter (5F, RH catheter; Cook, Bloomington, IN, USA) was selected for common hepatic artery angiography. If necessary, superior mesenteric artery and phrenic artery angiography was performed. After the tumor-feeding arteries were identified, a microcatheter (SP microcatheter; Terumo, Tokyo, Japan) was used for superselective arterial embolization performed with a mixed emulsion of Lipiodol (Lipiodol; Guerbet, France) and epirubicin (50 mg/m²). TACE was repeated every 4–6 weeks until disease progression occurred, with a limit of six TACE treatments per patient.

TACE was performed by interventional radiologists (F.C, J.Z, T.S, Y.C) with more than ten years of experience. After puncturing the femoral artery, celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery angiography were performed selectively with a 5F catheter (RH catheter; Cook, Bloomington, Ind). When the tumor-feeding arteries were found, the catheter was advanced into them one by one; a 3F microcatheter (SP microcatheter; Terumo, Tokyo, Japan) was used for selective catheterization if necessary. Oxaliplatin (75 mg/m²) was infused via the catheter, and iodized oil (Lipiodol Ultrafluido; Guerbet, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France) mixed with epirubicin (30-50 mg/m²) was used to embolize tumor-feeding arteries. The TACE procedure was repeated 4-6 weeks later.