title: Impact of low versus conventional doses of chemotherapy during transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization on serum fibrosis indicators and survival of liver cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the impact of low- vs conventional-dose chemotherapy via transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization (TACE) on serum fibrosis indicators and treatment efficacy of hepatocellular cancer patients (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria were assigned to TACE in Group A (with low-dose chemotherapy) or Group B (conventional-dose chemotherapy). Four serum fibrosis related indicators, hyaluronic acid(HA), human pro-collagen type-III (hPC-III), laminin (LN), and collagen type-IV(IV-C) before TACE were compared with the values 7 days after TACE. The response rate and survival time were also compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty patients with HCC were enrolled in this study, including 25 in Group A and 25 in Group B. No significant differences were detected between the two groups in the four indicators before TACE. After TACE, the value of the four serum indicators increased significantly in Group B. However, no significant differences regarding these four indicators were found in Group A after TACE. Significant differences were demonstrated between the two groups after TACE, but median survival time and 1 or 2 year overall survival rates did not differ (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-, compared with conventional-dose chemotherapy exerts the same impact on the variation of fibrosis related indicators and has no influence on median survival time and survival rate after TACE in HCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Clinical School of Medical College, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Jian-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Tan-Tan
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Guang-Ming
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xin-En
authors.initials: XE
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000097:blood; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000097:blood; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004998:Ethiodized Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000097:blood; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007797:Laminin / Q000097:blood; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D024061:Collagen Type III; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D007797:Laminin; D015251:Epirubicin; D004998:Ethiodized Oil; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil