title: Doxorubicin versus no antitumor therapy in inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma. A prospective randomized trial.
abstract: To assess the efficacy and safety of Adriamycin (Adria Laboratories, Columbus, OH) in inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 60 patients were randomized to receive Adriamycin 60 to 75 mg/m2 at 3-week intervals and 46 patients to receive no antitumor therapy. The median survival rate of the Adriamycin group was 10.6 weeks; that of the group receiving no antitumor therapy was 7.5 weeks (P = 0.036). Adriamycin induced tumor regression of 25% to 50% in 5% of patients and of over 50% in only 3.3% of patients. It caused fatal complications (septicemia and cardiotoxicity) in 25% of patients. The severity of neutropenia leading to septicemia for a particular dose was unpredictable. Four of eight patients who developed cardiotoxicity received less than 500 mg/m2 of Adriamycin. We conclude that Adriamycin is not an ideal drug for the treatment of inoperable HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lok
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin