The use of therapeutic embolisation at the time of hepatic arteriography in the management of primary tumours of the liver.

In 10 of 14 patients with primary hepatic tumours the technique of selective arterial embolisation with gelatin foam was successful in inducing necrosis of the tumour tissue. In the patients with histologically proven hepatocellular carcinoma there was ultrasonographic evidence that this was produced, as was also shown by a rapid initial fall in serum alpha-foetoprotein concentration. Treatment was continued with a course of doxorubicin (Adriamycin) and the patients remained well and symptom-free for a median of 10 months, the longest survival being 19 months. In two patients with localised and highly vascular contraceptive pill-associated hepatic tumours, embolisation was followed by complete disappearance of the tumour mass in one and resolution of obstructive jaundice in the other. In one other the response was equivocal.