Evaluation of transcatheter arterial embolization with epirubicin-lipiodol emulsion for hepatocellular carcinoma

• Published in: Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology 1992-01, Vol.31 (S1), p.S55-S59
• Main Authors: AOYAMA, K, TSUKISHIRO, T, OKADA, K, TSUCHIDA, T, AIBA, N, NAMBU, S, MIYABAYASHI, C, YASUYAMA, T, HIGUCHI, K, WATANABE, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; alpha-Fetoproteins - analysis; Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - mortality; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - therapy; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; Chemotherapy; Doxorubicin - administration & dosage; Emulsions; Epirubicin - administration & dosage; Epirubicin - adverse effects; Epirubicin - blood; Female; Humans; Iodized Oil - administration & dosage; Iodized Oil - adverse effects; Liver Neoplasms - mortality; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Survival Rate
• ISSN: 0344-5704; 1432-0843
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00687106

A total of 18 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were treated by transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) with a 4'-epi-doxorubicin (EDX)-lipiodol emulsion. Infusion of the EDX-lipiodol emulsion (EDX-L) via the hepatic artery was followed by the injection of gelatin sponge in 12 cases. The response and survival of these 12 patients following EDX-L treatment were compared with those of 42 subjects treated with a doxorubicin-lipiodol emulsion (DX-L) and those of 23 patients treated by TAE with gelatin sponge (GS) only. In the group treated with EDX-L, nine cases were AFP-positive in sera and four showed a decrease in serum AFP values to less than 10% of the pretreatment level. Seven cases showed a partial response, and nine cases showed no change in the size of the tumor. In the group treated with EDX-L, nine cases are alive, and the oldest has survived for more than 431 days since the treatment. The half-year survival value was 57%, and the 1-year survival value was 49%. These values did not differ significantly from those calculated for the group treated with DX-L. The 1-year survival value determined for patients treated with a lipiodol emulsion (EDX-L or DX-L) followed by GS was 65%, and the 2-year survival value was 39%. These results rates are significantly better than those obtained in patients treated with GS only (1-year survival, 39%; 2-year survival, 13%.