Studies on hyperthermia combined with arterial therapeutic blockade for treatment of tumors: (Part III) effectiveness of hyperthermia combined with arterial chemoembolization using degradable starch microspheres on advanced liver cancer.

Arterial chemoembolization using degradable starch microspheres and adriamycin was combined with hyperthermia to treat advanced liver cancer. The prolonged peak adriamycin level in hepatic venous blood suggested that the drug persisted for longer in the liver after injection containing microspheres. Heating efficiency was increased more in tumor tissue than in normal liver tissue after embolization. This combined therapy was performed in eight patients with advanced liver cancer and was effective in three (complete or partial remission). The mean survival time was 25 weeks and there were no severe side effects. This combined therapy may be useful for liver cancer.