Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinomas by Hepatic Transarterial Chemoembolization, Case Presentation and Review of the Literature

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common liver tumours. At the time of diagnosis, only 20% of patients are suitable for liver resection for curative purposes. In patients who are not suitable for surgical resection, chemoembolization of the hepatic artery is a viable therapeutic option. We present the case of a 60-year-old male patient being admitted with a diagnosis of liver tumour in the right liver lobe. Abdominal angio-CT examination revealed the existence of a tumour formation of 9x10 cm in the liver segments IV, VIII. Given the large size of the tumour, as well as the patient’s comorbidities, it was decided to practice hepatic chemoembolization with Irinotecan. The clinical evolution was favourable, the patient being discharged 48 hours after the intervention. Hepatic transarterial chemoembolization is a viable alternative in the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinomas, which may improve the prognosis of these patients.