title: Effective treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with portal venous invasion using a combination therapy of intra-arterial 5-fluorouracil and subcutaneous pegylated-interferon-alpha-2b.
abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma with portal venous invasion has a poor prognosis. We report a case treated successfully by intra-arterial 5-fluorouracil with systemic pegylated-interferon-alpha-2b instead of conventional interferon-alpha. A 66-year-old man was admitted to our hospital, and diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma with portal venous invasion. Following informed consent, he was treated with eight week cycles of combination chemotherapy using intra-arterial 5-fluorouracil (500 mg/body/day i.a., days 1-5, 8-12 continuously) and pegylated-interferon-alpha-2b (100 microg body s.c., days 1, 8). No significant side effects were observed during his therapy. After 4 cycles, computed tomography scan revealed a partial response of tumor reduction. This is the first report of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma effectively treated using subcutaneous pegylated-interferon-alpha-2b with intra-arterial 5-fluorouracil. While the conventional therapy of interferon-alpha with 5-fluorouracil has significant side effects, no significant side effects were observed in our case. The use of subcutaneous pegylated-interferon-alpha-2b combined with intraarterial 5-fluorouracil, may improve patients' quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Division, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mawatari
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kirikoshi
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoneda
authors.forename: Takuma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higurashi
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inamori
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yasunobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C417083:peginterferon alfa-2b; D005472:Fluorouracil