[Transarterial infusion chemotherapy using fine-powder cisplatin in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma]

We investigated the therapeutic effects and safety of fine powder cisplatin for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma( HCC). From January 2006 to March 2012, 123 patients with advanced HCC were treated by transarterial infusion chemotherapy(TAI)with fine-powder cisplatin(IA-call®, Nippon Kayaku Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). The drug was infused into the liver through the feeding artery at a dose of 65 mg/m2. The treatment was repeated every 4 to 8 weeks until evidence of either tumor progression or unacceptable toxicity appeared. Treatment responses were classified as complete response(CR), partial response(PR), stable disease(SD), and progressive disease(PD)in 3.2%, 12.0%, 32.2%, and 52.4% of patients, respectively. The median survival durations were as follows: overall, 12.2 months; CR/PR patients, 23.8 months; and SD/PD patients, 10.6 months. The cumulative survival rates of CR/PR patients were significantly higher than those of SD/PD patients (p<0.05). Multivariate analyses revealed that treatment response, etiology, Child-Pugh grading, and level of protein induced by the vitamin K antagonist- II (PIVKA- II )were predictive factors of survival duration. Problematic adverse events were not observed in any of the patients. Our results suggest that TAI using fine-powder cisplatin can be safely administered for advanced HCC and can improve the prognosis of patients with advanced disease.