THE BENEFITS VS POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS OF POSTCHEMOEMBOLIZATION FOR HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

Abstract

It is known that, among chronic liver diseases, the most common cause of morbidity and/or mortality is hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to the fact that most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease, surgical resection is no longer possible. These patients constitute the ideal group for transarterial chemoembolization, which consists of the local infusion of a mixture of chemotherapeutic agents, which will cause the suppression of blood supply of the cancerous lesions, the induction of ischemia, followed by the necrosis of the tumor tissue, with a considerable improvement in the survival rate.