RESUMEN
Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined transcatheter intraarterial chemoembolization with 350-560 μm gelatin sponge particles and lobaplatin (GSPs-TACE) and oral Chinese herb medication Huaier granules in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods This is a case-control,single-institution clinical trial.31 HCC patients receiving GSPs-TACE (group A) were matched with 31 patients receiving GSPs-TACE and Huaier granules (group B).Tumor response was evaluated by CECT using response evaluation criteria in solid tumors at 1 month after initial GSPs-TACE.The overall survival was calculated from the data of initial GSPs-TACE using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results The overall mean follow-up period was 28.7 (range 12-42) months.The overall 6-and 12-month survival rates in group A and group B were 90.3％ and 80.6％ vs 100％ and 93.5％,respectively.There was statistically significant difference in 12-month survival rates (x2 =5.213,P ＜0.05).Median survival time respectively was 17.1 and 20.6 months(x2 =0.745,P ＞0.05).The average TACE times were (4.1 ±7.3) and (2.9 ±8.7) respectively in group A and group B (P =0.01).Tumor objective response rate was statistically different in 6-and 12-month in two arms(x2 =5.945,6.384,P ＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in complications (respectively x2 =0.435,0.485,2.037,0.137,0.325,all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Huaier granules combined with transcatheter intraarterial chemoembolization with 350-560 μm gelatin sponge particles and carboplatin for HCC is safe and effectively prolongs patients' survival.