Efficacy of a microballoon catheter in transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma using miriplatin, a lipophilic anticancer drug: Short-term results.

AIM

The goal of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of balloon-occluded transarterial chemoembolization (B-TACE) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using miriplatin (a lipophilic anticancer drug) and gelatin particles.

METHODS

B-TACE was performed for 62 HCC nodules in 33 patients who could not be treated by surgical resection or radiofrequency ablation. All 33 patients had a history of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment prior to B-TACE. As a historical comparison, we investigated 40 nodules in 28 patients treated by TACE using a conventional microcatheter (C-TACE), miriplatin and gelatin particles. The therapeutic effect per tumor was compared between the groups based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Cancer Study Group of Japan (RECICL) and side-effects were compared based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (ver. 4.0).

RESULTS

The therapeutic efficacy after 4-12 weeks was evaluated in 59 nodules in the B-TACE group and in 37 nodules in the C-TACE group. Of these nodules, TE4 occurred in 29 (49.2%) in the B-TACE group and in 10 (27%) in the C-TACE group. Local efficacy was significantly higher in nodules treated by B-TACE than by C-TACE. The side-effects on hepatic function were similar in the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that B-TACE with miriplatin is a useful treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.