PURPOSE: To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness and useful as well as the ness, systemic effect andeffectiveness, of preoperative TACE when used in patients with unresectable or high risk hepatoblastoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated four patients with pathologically proven hepatoblastoma. One was maleand three were female, and they were aged between 8 and 27 (mean, 15) months. All underwent selective hepaticangiography and chemoembolization after superselection of tumor feeding vessels. Cisplatin 90mg/m2 (50-80mg),adriamycine 40mg/m2 (20mg) and lipiodol suspension 4cc ere used and chemotherapeutic angents. Embolization wasthen performed, gelfoam particles. TACE was repeated at intervals of 3 weeks, and after the second episode, allpatients underwent hepatic resection. To evaluate changes in the size, volume, internal texture and margin of themass, as well as the systemic toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs, we performed contrast-enhanced CT and checkedAFP, CBC and GOT/GPT before and after TACE. RESULTS: In all patients, TACE was successfully performed and majorproblems related to the procedure and toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents used were not noted. The largestdiameter and volume of tumors were reduced by 33% (from 8.3 to 5.6cm) and 69% respectively. Tumor necrosis wasevident in all patients. Lipiodol uptake by tumors was homogenous and tumors were well distinguished from normalparenchyma. Compared to pre-TACE, serum alpha-feto-protein was reduced from 994(range:615-1690ng/ml) to 46ng/ml(42-47ng/ml)after the second TACE, and six months after surgery was in the normal range(13ng/ml;3-23ng/ml).SGOT/SGPT levels were temporally elevated after TACE but normalized within a few weeks. CONCLUSION: TACE can be auseful technique for preoperative treatment of hepatoblestomas. In tomors which are high-risk or inoperable, thetherapeutio agents involved were not shown to be toxic.