Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with radiolabeled Lipiodol: a preliminary report.

Fatty acid esters such as Lipiodol or Ethiodol (Savage Laboratories, Melville, New York) are known to selectively localize in vascular hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), following intra-arterial hepatic administration. Lipiodol was labeled with radioactive 131I and administered in 47 patients with HCC for both imaging and therapy. The short term preliminary results suggest radiolabeled Lipiodol is effective in eliminating ascites, shrinking the tumor by a high internal radiation dose, and in improving symptomatology of these tumors. In the future, 90Y, which is a stronger pure beta-emitter (maximum beta energy of 2.27 MeV, a half life of 64 h, and a maximum penetration or beta range of 11mm), than 131I will be used for more effective treatment of HCC.