Low-dose chemotherapy of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil or doxorubicin via implanted fusion port for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The efficacy of continuous arterial infusion chemotherapies via a subcutaneously implanted port has been reported in unresectable HCC cases. However, the regimens for this therapy are still controversial. Among these regimens, cisplatinum (CDDP) + 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or epirubicin have been reported to have favorable effects.


METHODS
The efficacies of these two regimens are compared with regard to size of tumor, a tumor marker and survival rate in patients with unresectable HCC.


RESULTS
Treatments with both the epirubicin (epirubicin group) and the CDDP + 5-FU (CDDP group) demonstrated significant tumoricidal effects as compared with conservative therapies (control group). Furthermore, the tumoricidal effects observed in the CDDP group were superior to that in the epirubicin group, despite a higher incidence of portal tumor thrombus in the CDDP group. Additionally, a longer survival was observed in the CDDP group relative to the epirubicin group.


CONCLUSIONS
Arterial infusion chemotherapy using CDDP + 5-FU may be the superior regimen for advanced HCC, even with portal tumor thrombus complications.
Murata
Kazumoto
K
First Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan.
Shiraki
Katsuya
K
Kawakita
Tomoyuki
T
Yamamoto
Norihiko
N
Okano
Hiroshi
H
Nakamura
Masatsugu
M
Sakai
Takahisa
T
Deguchi
Masatoshi
M
Ohmori
Shigeru
S
Nakano
Takeshi
T
D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015918:Infusion Pumps, Implantable; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D015251:Epirubicin; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil