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Multidisciplinary management of hepatocellular carcinoma
N J Lygidakis1, S Tsiliakos, A Talaat
1Athens Medical Center, Greece.
Background/Aims:
The continuing poor prognosis for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma drives a search for new adjuvant therapies. Targeted locoregional immuno-chemotherapy is one of the most promising.
Materials And Methods:
From 1990 to 1996, 193 patients who were not eligible for liver resection were treated in a prospective randomized study. Ninety-one patients received locoregional targeted chemotherapy only via an arterial catheter (Group A), and 102 received combined locoregional immuno-chemotherapy via two arterial catheters (Group B).
Results:
Overall survival was significantly different (10.2 months vs 22.3 months), favoring Group B. Complications and side effects of treatment were minimal in Group B and easily handled. Even in Group A, side effects were less severe than effects normally associated with systemic chemotherapy.
Conclusions:
Even though the current prognosis for patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma remains poor, targeted locoregional immuno-chemotherapy has proven to be of benefit in terms of quality of life and survival.