Modified transarterial chemoembolization with locoregional administration of sorafenib for treating hepatocellular carcinoma: feasibility, efficacy, and safety in the VX-2 rabbit liver tumor model

• Published in: Diagnostic and interventional radiology (Ankara, Turkey) Turkey), 2016-07, Vol.22 (4), p.378-384
• Main Authors: Seidensticker, Max, Streit, Sebastian, Nass, Norbert, Wybranski, Christian, Jürgens, Julian, Brauner, Jan, Schulz, Nadine, Kalinski, Thomas, Seidensticker, Ricarda, Garlipp, Benjamin, Steffen, Ingo, Ricke, Jens, Dudeck, Oliver
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - therapy; Cell Line, Tumor; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic - methods; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Interventional Radiology; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Neoplasm Transplantation; Niacinamide - administration & dosage; Niacinamide - analogs & derivatives; Niacinamide - pharmacology; Phenylurea Compounds - administration & dosage; Phenylurea Compounds - pharmacology; Rabbits; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Burden - drug effects
• ISSN: 1305-3825; 1305-3612
• DOI: 10.5152/dir.2016.15462

We aimed to assess the feasibility, efficacy and safety of a local application of sorafenib within a conventional transarterial chemoembolization in the VX-2 tumor-bearing rabbit model. VX-2 tumors were induced in the left liver lobe of 10 New Zealand White rabbits. After two weeks, growth was verified by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). Five rabbits were treated by transarterial chemoembolization using an emulsion of sorafenib and ethiodized oil (referred to as SORATACE; n=5). Rabbits receiving oral sorafenib for two weeks (n=2) and untreated rabbits (n=3) served as controls. After two weeks, contrast-enhanced CT was performed, followed by animal necropsy. The change in tumor diameter between baseline and follow-up was significantly different in the SORATACE group compared with the other groups; tumor shrinkage was observed in the SORATACE group only (P = 0.016). In both control groups, preserved hypervascularity was seen in the follow-up CT in all but one tumor. All tumors in the SORATACE group were devascularized in the follow-up CT. Importantly, substantial parenchymal damage in nontargeted areas of the tumor-bearing liver lobe was seen in rabbits treated with SORATACE. SORATACE demonstrated high efficacy in the treatment of experimental VX-2 liver tumors but was also associated with substantial liver parenchymal toxicity.