A highly metastatic LCI•D20 model of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was obtained via orthotopic implantation of a histologically preserved metastatic tumour selected from I of 30 surgical specimens, and has been maintained for 18 passages in nude mice. All mice with transplanted tumours exhibited 100% transplantability and metastatic ability, as well as various manifestations reminiscent of tumour behaviour in HCC pa-tients. These included: local growth, regional invasion, spontane-ous metastasis to liver, lymph nodes and lungs, and peritoneal seeding, Histological characteristics of the LCI-D20 tumour were similar to those of the original tumour. Karyotypic analysis revealed heteroploid cells. Immunohistochemically, expression of AFP and HBXAG was shown, Our nude mouse model with its high metastatic rate and short latency period could be an interesting tool for the study of human HCC.

The poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was partly a result of the majority of unresectable HCCs in clinical patients. Fortunately, with the progress of regional cencer therapics and multimo-dality trealent, some of the licalized unresectable HCCs were converted to resectable ones. During the period 1960-1994, 72 of the 663 patients with surgically verified unresectable HCCs have been converted to resectable ones. During the period 1960-1994, 72 of the 663 patients with surgically verified unreseetable HCCs have been converted to rescctable. Sucessful cytoreduction with median diameter reduced from 10 cm to 5 cm was mainly a result of the triple or double combination treatment with hepatic artery ligation, hepatic artery cannulation with infusion, radioimmunotherapy. and fractionated regional radiotherapy. The interval hetween the first operation and the sequential reection was 5 months. The operative mortality was 1.4% for sequential resection, and the 5-year sursival was 62.1%. Analysis of factors influencing sequenlial resection rate revealed HCCs that were single nodule, well encapsulated, situated at right lobe or hepatic hilum, associated with micromodular cirrhosis, and treated with triple or double combination modalities had higher sequential resection rate as compared to their counterparts. Analysis of factors influencing sursival after sequential resection revealed that HCCs with a solitary lumor confined in one lobe, without tumor embolus, and without residual cancer in specimen of sequential resection, had longer survival. It is suggesled that localized unreseelable, solitary, well encapsulated, reght lobe or hilar HCC, associated with micronodular cirrhosis, will be good candidates for cytoreduction and sequential resection; and HCCs with unilateral involvement, without tumor embolus, and with complete necrosis of tumor after multimodality trcatment favored better prognosis.