Antitumor efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with warmed miriplatin in hepatocellular carcinoma

Aim: Patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often undergo transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Miriplatin is a lipophilic cisplatin derivative used in TACE that is effective in HCC. However, the difference in antitumor efficacy between warmed versus room temperature miriplatin is unclear.

Methods: Chemotherapy efficacy was evaluated by dynamic computed tomography 1-3 months after TACE, according to the Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. A total of 203 patients with HCC who received TACE with miriplatin for the first time were included in a follow-up study to retrospectively investigate its efficacy and safety. Overall, 45 patients underwent TACE with warmed (40°C) miriplatin and 158 patients received TACE with room temperature miriplatin.

Results: Seventy patients (44.3%) treated with room temperature miriplatin and 32 patients (71.1%) who received warmed miriplatin experienced complete or partial responses. Multivariate analysis identified miriplatin temperature (warmed miriplatin, risk ratio (RR) = 2.26, P = 0.047), tumor number (solitary, RR = 3.48, P = 0.007), α-fetoprotein (AFP) level (<50 ng/mL, RR = 2.35, P = 0.012) and history of TACE (no history, RR = 2.22, P = 0.041) as predictors of objective response following TACE with miriplatin, and no serious complications were observed.

Conclusion: Warm temperature, solitary tumors, low AFP level and first TACE are significant and independent predictors of objective response after TACE using miriplatin. These results suggest that warmed miriplatin can be considered as one of the standard treatments for unresectable HCC.