Pirarubicin, UFT, Leucovorin Chemotherapy in Non-embolizable and Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization-Failed Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients; A Phase II Clinical Study

Park, Kyong Hwa; Yoon, So Young; Oh, Sang Cheul; Seo, Jae Hong; Choi, Chul Won; Yeon, Jong Eun; Kim, Byung Soo; Shin, Sang Won; Kim, Yeul Hong; Byun, Kwan Soo; Kim, Jun Suk; Lee, Chang Hong

doi:2002.34.4.280

Cancer Research and Treatment > Volume 34(4); 2002 > Article

Original Article

Cancer Research and Treatment 2002;34(4): 280-283. doi: https://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2002.34.4.280

Pirarubicin, UFT, Leucovorin Chemotherapy in Non-embolizable and Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization-Failed Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients; A Phase II Clinical Study

Kyong Hwa Park, So Young Yoon, Sang Cheul Oh, Jae Hong Seo, Chul Won Choi, Jong Eun Yeon, Byung Soo Kim, Sang Won Shin, Yeul Hong Kim, Kwan Soo Byun, Jun Suk Kim, Chang Hong Lee

¹Department of Hemato-oncology, College of Medicine, KoreaUniversity, Seoul, Korea.
²Department of Gastroenterology, College of Medicine, KoreaUniversity, Seoul, Korea.
³Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, KoreaUniversity, Seoul, Korea.

Published online: August 31, 2002.

ABSTRACT

Hepatocellular carcinomas are one of the most common malignancies in the world. However, no effective therapeutic modality has been proven to prolong the survival of patients in an inoperable stage. The purpose of this study was to determine the response rate and the toxicities of a combination of pirarubicin, UFT and leucovorin in patients with non-embolizable hepatocellular carcinomas, or who had progressed during their transcatheter arterial chemoembolization treatment.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Of 23 patients with a hepatocellular carcinoma, 11 had progressed during a transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, with the other 12 being transcatheter arterial chemoembolization-naive. All the patients were treated with pirarubicin (70 mg/m2 i.v., day 1), UFT (350 mg/m2 P.O., day 1~21), and leucovorin (25 mg/m2 P.O., day 1~21).
RESULTS:
Twenty patients were able to be evaluated, with a partial response being achieved in four, giving an overall response rate of 20% (95% confidence interval, 7~44%). The median overall survival time was 6 months, and the median survival time of the transcatheter arterial chemoembolization-naive patients was significantly longer than that of those treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (p=0.012). The most significant dose-limiting toxicity was leucopenia and thrombocytopenia.
CONCLUSION:
The combination of pirarubicin, UFT and leucovorin therapies showed marginal antitumor activity and significant toxicity in patients with non-embolizable or failed transcatheter arterial chemoembolization hepatocellular carcinomas.

Key words: Hepatocellular neoplasm;Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization;Chemotherapy