title: Chemotherapy for transarterial chemoembolization in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy of different chemotherapeutic agents during conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was undertaken of patients with unresectable HCC undergoing cTACE from May 2003 to November 2011. A total of 107 patients were treated with at least one cTACE session. Irinotecan (CPT-11) was used as a chemotherapeutic agent in 24 patients, gemcitabine (GEM) in 24 and doxorubicin in 59.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The time to progression and overall survival rates were significantly superior in patients treated with CPT-11 compared with the GEM or doxorubicin treated groups (11.4, 8.2, 9.5 mo, P = 0.02 and 21.7, 12.7, 14.5 mo, P = 0.004, respectively). Subgroup analysis showed that for intermediate-stage HCC, CPT-11 resulted in a significantly longer time to progression and overall survival compared with the GEM or doxorubicin treated groups (P = 0.022; P = 0.003, respectively). There were no significant differences in adverse events among the three groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For patients treated with cTACE, the chemotherapeutic agent CPT-11 was significantly associated with improved overall survival and delayed tumor progression compared with GEM or doxorubicin. There were no significant differences in clinical adverse events between the three agents. CPT-11 thus appears to be a promising agent when combined with cTACE for the treatment of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Jie Wu, Lei Song, Dan-Yi Zhao, Bing Guo, Jing Liu, Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Jie Wu, Lei Song, Dan-Yi Zhao, Bing Guo, Jing Liu, Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Jie Wu, Lei Song, Dan-Yi Zhao, Bing Guo, Jing Liu, Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Dan-Yi
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Jie Wu, Lei Song, Dan-Yi Zhao, Bing Guo, Jing Liu, Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Jie Wu, Lei Song, Dan-Yi Zhao, Bing Guo, Jing Liu, Department of Medical Oncology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018450:Disease Progression; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000077146:Irinotecan; D004317:Doxorubicin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D002166:Camptothecin; D000093542:Gemcitabine
keywords: Gemcitabine; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Irinotecan; Overall survival; Transarterial chemoembolization