Background: The efficacy of continuous arterial infusion chemotherapies via a subcutaneously implanted port has been reported in unresectable HCC cases. However, the regimens for this therapy are still controversial. Among these regimens, cisplatinum (CDDP) + 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or epirubicin have been reported to have favorable effects.
Patients and methods: The efficacies of these two regimens are compared with regard to size of tumor, a tumor marker and survival rate in patients with unresectable HCC.
Results: Treatments with both the epirubicin (epirubicin group) and the CDDP + 5-FU (CDDP group) demonstrated significant tumoricidal effects as compared with conservative therapies (control group). Furthermore, the tumoricidal effects observed in the CDDP group were superior to that in the epirubicin group, despite a higher incidence of portal tumor thrombus in the CDDP group. Additionally, a longer survival was observed in the CDDP group relative to the epirubicin group.
Conclusion: Arterial infusion chemotherapy using CDDP + 5-FU may be the superior regimen for advanced HCC, even with portal tumor thrombus complications.