Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a minimally invasive procedure performed in interventional radiology to kill cancer cells. TACE is the current standard of care for patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and relatively preserved liver function. Multiple randomized clinical trials demonstrated a survival benefit of TACE, and the treatment has been incorporated into multiple clinical guidelines as standard care for patients with unresectable HCC. In this article, efficacy, technique, indications and contraindications, along with nursing consideration for the preprocedure workup, procedural techniques, and postprocedure management for patients undergoing TACE for nonresectable HCC are reviewed.