Transarterial chemoembolization with miriplatin vs. epirubicin for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a phase III
Masafumi Ikeda1, Masatoshi Kudo2, Hiroshi Aikata3
1Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan. masikeda@east.ncc.go.jp.
Background:
This prospective study investigated the superiority of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with miriplatin over TACE with epirubicin regarding overall survival (OS) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods:
Patients with unresectable HCC were randomized 1:1 to receive TACE with miriplatin or epirubicin in lipiodol. The primary endpoint was OS; secondary endpoints were percentages of patients who achieved treatment effect (TE) 4 (100% necrotizing effect or tumor reduction), duration of time to TACE failure, and adverse events (AEs). OS was compared using a stratified log-rank test adjusted for clinical stage, Child-Pugh class, and institution.
Results:
Of 257 patients enrolled from August 2008 to August 2010, 247 were analyzed for efficacy and toxicity (miriplatin, n = 124; epirubicin, n = 123). Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the two groups. Median OS times were 1111 days for miriplatin and 1127 days for epirubicin (adjusted hazard ratio 1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.73-1.40, P = 0.946). TE4 rates were 44.4% for miriplatin and 37.4% for epirubicin. Median times to TACE failure were 365.5 days for miriplatin and 414.0 days for epirubicin. AEs of grade 3 or higher, including elevated aspartate aminotransferase (miriplatin, 39.5%; epirubicin, 57.7%) and elevated alanine aminotransferase (miriplatin, 31.5%; epirubicin, 53.7%), were less frequent in the miriplatin than the epirubicin group.
Conclusions:
OS after TACE with miriplatin was not superior to that after TACE with epirubicin; however, hepatic AEs were less frequent with miriplatin.
Clinical Trial Registration:
JapicCTI-080632.
