A prospecitve and randomized trial was carried out from June 1989 to December 1991 to evaluate the effects of cisplatin and adriamycin in the chemoembolization therapy for the patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of
56
cases became the subjects of this study, including 14 patients with HCC less than 5 cm in diameter, 33 patients 5 to 10 cm, and 9 patients larger than 10 cm.
We used cisplatin (Group A), adriamycin (Group B) and both (Group C) in 23, 20 and 13 cases, resepctively, to compare the effects of chemotherapeutic agents. The therapeutic effects of chemoembolization were assessed by the changes of tumor size
in
initial and follow-up computed tomography. serum alpha-fetoprotein level in cases with elevated initial value, and duration of survival.
The partial response rates of group A and C were 52% and 54%, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of group B (35%). Chemoembolization using cisplatin or cisplatin combined with adriamycin could prolong the 1-year-survival rate
(65%
and 53%) compared with treatment using adriamycin (26%). But the partial response rate and 1-year-survival rate of group A and C were not diffent.
In conclusion, it was suggested that cisplatin is more effective and significant than adriamycin as a chemotherapeutic agent in the chemoembolization therapy for patients with unresectable HCC.
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