[Effect of arterial administration of a high molecular weight anti-tumor agent styrene maleic acid neocarzinostatin for multiple small liver cancer].

To assess the characteristics of a zinostatin derivative, 29 patients with multiple hepatocellular carcinoma of 3 cm or less in diameter were treated with intra-arterial injection of the high molecular weight anti-tumor agent, styrene-maleic acid neocarzinostatin, mixed with Lipiodol. Computerized tomography 3 months after the first therapy showed complete accumulation of Lipiodol in 8 patients (27.6%), 50% to 99% accumulation in 4 (13.8%), 10 to 49% in 10 (34.5%), and less than 10% in 7 (24.1%). After repeated injections, Lipiodol accumulation of the entire area of the original tumor was found in 11 patients (37.9%). The degree of Lipiodol accumulation depended on the angiographic vascularity of the tumor and on the images of computerized tomogram during arterial portography. Although complete accumulation of Lipiodol was found in all tumors in 10 (58.8%) of the 17 patients with well-demarcated round-shaped hypervascularity, only one (8.3%) of 12 patients with ill-demarcated tumors could achieve complete accumulation of the Lipiodol in the tumors. Taking into account the fact that hypervascularity on angiograms is closely correlated with the degree of Lipiodol accumulation on computerized tomograms obtained later, well-demarcated round-shaped liver cancer is the best candidate for styrene-maleic acid neocarzinostatin therapy among various stages of liver cancer.