Choice of conservative therapeutic modalities for hepatocellular carcinoma

309 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were studied to discuss the efficacy of, and the appropriate selection of conservative therapeutic modalities for HCC. These modalities included partial hepatectomy (22 cases), transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) (35 cases) lipiodolization (32 cases), one-shot therapy (140 cases), and no or only systemic chemotherapy (80 cases). Eleven patients also underwent IFN-y therapy. And patients were stratified into 3 to 4 grades according to clinical stage (CS), tumor stage (TS) and portal invasion (Vp). Active treatments such as TAE, lipiodolization and one-shot therapy are effective in CS I to II, TS I to II and Vp 0 to 3. On the other hand, these treatments are of little prospect of life-prolongation in CS III, TS III and/or Vp 4. IFN-y can be expected as an appropriate systemic treatment because of the elevated NK activity following its administration.