TARGETED CHEMOTHERAPY FOR UNRESECTABLE PRIMARY AND METASTATIC LIVER-CANCER

In targeted chemotherapy, Lipiodol Ultrafluid was used as a carrier of anticancer drugs; these combinations were termed oily anticancer agen ts. Arterial injection therapy with these oily anticancer agents was p erformed in 330 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (H CC) and 110 patients with unresectable metastatic liver cancer. The al pha-fetoprotein (AFP) level decreased in 178 of 186 AFP-positive patie nts with HCC. Tumor size was reduced in 256 of 269 evaluable patients, vith HCC. The treatment seemed to prolong survival and in 193 HCC pati ents who were good candidates far therapy (those without Child C liver cirrhosis, without tumor occupying all four segments of the liver, or without extrahepatic spread) the 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival rates we re 85, 52, and 34% respectively. In the 110 patients with metastatic l iver cancer, the carcinoembryonic antigen level and tumor size were re duced. The 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival rates of these 110 patients wer e 61, 32, and 22% respectively.