Beneficial effect of arterial embolization with warmed miriplatin for multiple hepatocellular carcinoma

The effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is not necessarily sufficient in patients with multiple hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluated the antitumor activity and adverse events of TACE using warmed miriplatin suspension for multiple HCC.

Seventy patients with multiple HCC received TACE using warmed miriplatin/lipiodol suspension, including patients who were TACE-naïve (group A, n = 5), those undergoing initial TACE after radical therapies (group B, n = 31), and those with a history of repeated TACE (group C, n = 34). Median tumor size was 19.5 mm and a median of four nodules.

Complete necrosis (TE 4) and partial necrosis (TE 3) of 50% or more were attained in 24 and 19 patients at 3 months after TACE, respectively. Response rates (TE 4 + TE 3) were 60.0% in group A, 83.9% in group B, and 41.2% in group C (P = 0.038). Survival rates of all patients after TACE were 82.6% after 1 year, 65.6% after 2 years, and 47.7% after 3 years. Three-year survival rates of patients in groups A, B, and C were 53.3%, 78.8%, and 29.7%, respectively (P = 0.0029).

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization using warmed miriplatin induced high response rate in multiple HCC, and the rate was significantly high in those patients with recurrent multiple HCCs after curative therapies.