The Efficacy of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma according to Extrahepatic Collateral Feeding Vessels / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Despite the poor response rate of 20-30%, hepatic arterial infusion therapy (HAIT) has been often tried for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis or ineffective response to other treatments. The factors that predict treatment response to HAIT remain unclear. This study ascertained the response rate to HAIT based on the existence of extrahepatic collateral feeding vessels or anatomical variants. METHODS: Forty one patients received repeated HAIT using an implanted drug delivery system. Of the 41 patients, 18 patients were treated with 5-FU, epirubicin and mytomycin-C; 17 patients were treated with 5-FU and cisplatin; and 6 patients were treated with 5-FU, cisplatin and leucovorin. The patients were divided into two groups according to the existence of extrahepatic collateral feeding vessels or anatomical variants. RESULTS: Of the 41 patients, 10 patients (24.4%) showed a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR). Of 41 patients, 22 patients (group A) did not have extrahepatic collateral feeding vessel or an anatomical variant, but 19 patients (group B) did. In group A, 10 patients (45.5%) had a treatment response (CR+PR). However, only one patient (5.3%) had a treatment response (CR+PR) in group B. The response rate in group A was significantly higher than that in group B (45.5 vs. 5.3%; P=0.005). The median survival of group A was significantly longer than that of group B (10.8 vs 3.4 months, P=0.031). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic arterial infusion therapy may be useful therapeutic option for patients with advanced HCC, especially in those that do not have extrahepatic collateral feeding vessel or anatomical variant.

Efficacy of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using 5-Fluorouracil, Epirubicin and Mitomycin-C / 대한소화기학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Prognosis of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated by conventional therapies has been considered to be poor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion therapy (HAIT) using FEM (5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, mitomycin-C) regimen for advanced HCC. METHODS: Eighteen patients received repeated HAIT using an implanted drug delivery system. Of the 18 patients, 8 patients had HCC with portal vein tumor thrombosis, 9 patients had recurrent HCC after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and 1 patient after surgical resection. The patients received 5-fluorouracil (330 mg/m2, every week), epirubicin (30 mg/m2, every 4 weeks) and mitomycin-C (2.7 mg/m2, every 2 weeks). RESULTS: Mean age was 51 years. The response rate (complete response+partial response) by tumor size on abdominal CT was 38.9%. Survival ranged from 2 to 24 months and the median survival time was 8 months. The cumulative survival rate of responders group was significantly higher than non-responders group (p=0.0385). The mean levels of serum alpha-FP and PIVKA-II in responders group decreased after HAIT (3,179 ng/mL and 2,850 ng/mL) than before (11,218 ng/mL and 4,396 ng/mL), but not significantly. Chemotherapy-related side effects were nausea, vomiting and alopecia. Three patients had catheter-related complications. One patient developed gastric ulcer. CONCLUSIONS: HAIT using FEM regimen is a useful therapeutic option for patients with advanced HCC with portal vein tumor thrombosis or ineffective response to other therapies.

Efficacy of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using 5-fluorouracil and Cisplatin / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There has been no standard treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) until now. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion therapy (HAIT) using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (CDDP) for advanced HCC. METHODS: Twenty patients received repeated HAIT using an implanted drug delivery system. Of the 20 patients, eight patients had HCC with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), eleven patients had residual tumor despite transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) or percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT), and one patient had multiple recurrent HCC nodules after surgical resection. The patients were repeatedly treated with an arterial infusion of 5-FU (250 mg/5 hours on day 1-5) and CDDP (10 mg/1 hour on day 1-5) via the drug delivery system at three weekly intervals. RESULTS: Of the 20 patients, three patients were excluded from the study due to death within the first 1 week of treatment or during follow-up before evaluation. The response rate according to tumor size on abdominal CT was 29.4% (5 patients). One of the five patients showed a complete response (CR, 5.9%), three patients showed partial responses (PR, 17.6%), and one patient showed a minor response (MR, 5.9%). Chemotherapy- related side effect, such as grade I-II nausea (n=2), grade II vomiting (n=1), fever (n=1), drug eruption (n=1) and catheter-related complication such as dislodgement of the catheter (n=2), occurred in six patients. CONCLUSIONS: HAIT using the FP regimen is another option for patients having advanced HCC with PVTT or for patients showing an ineffective response to other therapies.