Hepatic artery-infusion chemotherapy improved survival of hepatocellular carcinoma after radical hepatectomy

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of postoperative hepatic artery-infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) on survival probability in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radical hepatectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS This retrospective study included 85 patients with HCC who received radical hepatectomy from May 2005 to May 2010. Among these patients, 42 underwent two sessions of HAIC (5-fluoruracil [1,000 mg/m2], oxaliplatin [85 mg/m2], and mitomycin-C [6 mg/m2]) after radical hepatectomy (HAIC group), and 43 underwent radical hepatectomy only (the control group). HAIC-related side effects and long-term survival were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS The HAIC group showed a significantly higher 5-year intrahepatic recurrence-free survival probability and lower risk of intrahepatic recurrence (HR 0.5615, 95% CI 0.3234-0.9749 [log-rank test]; P=0.0332). The HAIC group also had significantly higher 5-year disease-free survival probability (HR 0.591, 95% CI 0.3613-0.9666 [log-rank test]; P=0.0298) and overall survival probability than the control group (HR 0.5768, 95% CI 0.3469-0.9589 [log-rank test]; P=0.0278). No HAIC-related deaths in the HAIC group were reported. All toxicities and complications were controlled, and no patients quit the treatment. CONCLUSION HAIC can effectively and safely reduce intrahepatic recurrence and improve the long-term survival of patients with HCC after radical hepatectomy.