Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 7, 2005; 11(33): 5221-5225
Published online Sep 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i33.5221
Evaluation of HCPTd1, d14-double passaged intervening chemotherapy protocol for hepatocellular carcinoma
Zhi-Jian Yu, Jia-Wei Yu, Wei Cai, Hong-Xin Yuan, Xiao-Yan Li, Ye Yuan, Jian-Ping Chen, Xiao-Yin Wu, Deng-Fu Yao
Zhi-Jian Yu, Jia-Wei Yu, Wei Cai, Hong-Xin Yuan, Xiao-Yan Li, Ye Yuan, Center of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
Jian-Ping Chen, Xiao-Yin Wu, Department of Ultrasonography, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
Deng-Fu Yao, Research Center of Clinical Molecular Biology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Professor Zhi-Jian Yu, MD, Center of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 20 Xisi Road, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu Province, China. yaodf@ahnmc.com
Telephone: +86-513-5052541 Fax: +86-513-5052523
Received: August 30, 2004
Revised: December 5, 2004
Accepted: December 8, 2004
Published online: September 7, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To establish a kind of standardization of the clinical chemotherapeutic prototypes for unresectable hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC).

METHODS: 10-Hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) was applied through transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) to HCC patients who were categorized into three groups: (1) test group: treatment with HCPT twice (HCPT d1 and 14) through TAE and portal venous embolization. (2) Control I: treatment with anticancer drugs without HCPT. (3) Control II: treatment with HCPT as a major component in anticancer drugs once (HCPT d1). A set of comparisons between test groups and control I and II groups were performed before and after the treatment to study the effectiveness of each treatment, in terms of tumor volumes, dynamic variations in serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), gamma-glutamyl transferase hepatoma-specific band (GGT-II), patient survival and adverse events.

RESULTS: The general effectiveness rate of the test group reached 62.1% (72/116), remarkably higher than that of control I (32.1%, 40/124) and control II (54.7%, 47/56), (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively). Especially, the reduction rate or disappearance of the portal vein tumor emboli was as high as 88.4% (61/69) in the test group, in contrast with 13.9% (10/72) in control I and 35.9% (18/51) in control II (P<0.01 and P<0.01, respectively). After treatment, AFP decreased or turned to negative levels at 52.3% (34/65) in control I, 67.3% (35/52) in control II, and 96.8% (60/62) in the test group. Also GGT-II declined or became negative at 37.8% (28/74) in control I, 69.5% (57/82) in control II, and 94.7% (89/94) in test group (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSION: We have designed a good protocol (test group) to treat HCC with excellent advantages of high efficiency, low cost, low toxicity and low adverse events and easy application. It could be recommended as one of the standardizations for HCC treatment in clinical practice.

Keywords: Hydroxycamptothecin, Transcatheter arterial embolization, Portal venous embolization, Hepatocellular carcinoma