Hepatic arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin for unresectable or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombus of the portal vein.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (CDDP) for unresectable or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombus of the trunk or first branches of the portal vein (PVTT).


METHODS
Seven unresectable or recurrent HCC patients with PVTT were enrolled in this study. A one-week course of chemotherapy consisted of intraarterial administration of CDDP (10 mg on days 1-5) for 1 h and 5-FU (250 mg on days 1-5) for 24 h, followed by cessation of administration for the subsequent 2 days (days 6 and 7). Three or more sequential courses of chemotherapy were given through an implanted reservoir.


RESULTS
Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels before the chemotherapy were >20 ng/ml in six of the seven patients. Serum AFP levels were decreased in four of the six patients after chemotherapy, including two patients (cases 1 and 7) whose AFP levels later returned to normal. Six of the seven patients had measurable lesions in the liver, with a response rate of 33%. In three of the seven patients (43%), PVTTs decreased in size or disappeared after chemotherapy. The mean and median survival periods of all patients were 8.0 and. 7.5 months, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The chemotherapy described in this report is beneficial in terms of survival for HCC patients with PVTT for whom transcatheter arterial embolization or surgical treatment is contraindicated.
Department of Surgery II, Hiroshima University, Faculty of Medicine, Hiroshima, Japan. titamoto@mua.biglobe.ne.jp
Toshiyuki
T
Itamoto
Hideki
H
Nakahara
Hirotaka
H
Tashiro
Naoki
N
Haruta
Toshimasa
T
Asahara
Akira
A
Naito
Katsuhide
K
Ito
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology*
D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil