Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the liver. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the traditional method for the palliative management of patients with HCC. Few previous studies had demonstrated that the serum level of anticancer drug from patients treated by TACE was similar to those treated by systemic chemotherapy. The defense ability of the patient treated by TACE may thus be influenced by the leakage of anticancer drug to the systemic circulation. Since more than 80% patients with HCC also have liver cirrhosis, the toxicity for those anticancer drugs with hepatic transformation will be increased caused by the cirrhotic liver. The severity of pancytopenia in cirrhosis will be exacerbated by the effect of bone marrow suppression caused by anticancer drugs. Patients are at high risk for infection and hemorrhage. Therefore, it is of clinical importance to prevent or decrease the leakage of anticancer drugs to systemic circulation in patients treated by TACE. The procedures of TACE performed by previous studies were not constant and the distributions of tumor vessels were not evaluated in detail. The possible risk factors for the leakage of anticancer drug have not been investigated. This project will collect 60 patients with HCC including 30 patients with hepatitis B and 30 patients with hepatitis C.

The blood levels of anticancer drugs (epirubicin, mitomycin C and cisplatin) will be determined within one hour and at the third day after TACE.