[Residual liver cancer after transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization in patients with large primary hepatic carcinoma].

15 cancer specimens resected after hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TCE) were studied pathologically. It was found that residual tumor tissue was present in three forms: failure of complete tumor necrosis; tumor emboli in small portal veins; and multiple cancer foci in adjacent liver parenchyma. It is believed that presenting residual tumor tissue after TCE may be attributed to one of the following conditions: low drug concentration in residual tumor tissue; the larger tumor size after TCE; more residual cancer tissue in ASCCL than in HCC, collaterals formed soon after hepatic arterial occlusion.