Background: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) provides a survival benefit in a subset of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Even though data are lacking, patients with metastatic HCC (mHCC) are sometimes treated with transarterial therapies to address the hepatic disease. Sorafenib is a standard treatment for patients with mHCC. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients diagnosed with HCC who had undergone hepatic arterial embolization (HAE) between 2006 and until 2013. Overall survival (OS) was calculated from date of HAE to date of death and estimated by Kaplan Meier Methods. Patients alive at their last follow up date were censored. Results: Of 243 patients who had undergone HAE at MSKCC during the study period, 36 patients had mHCC on initial diagnosis. Of these, 22 received HAE only, while 14 received HAE plus systemic therapy at some time during their whole treatment course. Conclusions: Patients with mHCC who underwent HAE alone had a poor OS. These data suggest that there maybe a survival benefit in patients with mHCC treated with transarterial therapies add to systemic therapy that is given at some time during their whole treatment course. These results contrast with recent data on the use of combined modality in locally advanced disease. Further studies of combined modality therapy in the setting of mHCC may be warranted.

* 2 patients had 2 risk factors: alcohol plus NASH and alcohol plus Hepatitis C. Abbreviation: CI, confidence interval.