A randomized trial of intrahepatic arterial infusion of 4'-epidoxorubicin with Lipiodol versus 4'-epidoxorubicin alone in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
We conducted a prospective randomized trial to evaluate the efficacy of Lipiodol in intrahepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 38 patients with unresectable HCCs and underlying cirrhosis were entered in this trial, and 36 of them were evaluable. Every 4 weeks, 17 patients received 70 mg of 4'-epidoxorubicin (epirubicin) alone (group A), whereas 19 patients received a Lipiodol emulsion containing the same dose of epirubicin (group B) through the hepatic artery. A tumor response (CR+PR) was observed in 12% of group A patients and in 42% of group B patients. The group B patients showed a significantly higher response rate than the group A patients. There was a tendency for an increased duration of survival (P = 0.09) in the group B patients. These results suggested that the infusion of the Lipiodol emulsion with epirubicin was more effective than epirubicin alone for the treatment of these patients with HCC.
Yoshikawa
M
M
First Department of Medicine, Chiba University, School of Medicine, Japan.
Saisho
H
H
Ebara
M
M
Iijima
T
T
Iwama
S
S
Endo
F
F
Kimura
M
M
Shimamura
Y
Y
Suzuki
Y
Y
Nakano
T
T
D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D004655:Emulsions; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D007459:Iodized Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
D004655:Emulsions; D015251:Epirubicin; D007459:Iodized Oil