TRANSARTERIAL CHEMOTHERAPY WITH ZINOSTATIN STIMALAMER FOR HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA

Zinostatin stimalamer (SMANCS) is a lipophilic intra-arterial chemothe rapeutic agent for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thirty HCC patients underwent transcatheter arterial injection of 4 mg SMANCS-lipiodol em ulsion. Their responses were evaluated by computed tomography I month after treatment. Complete response (CR) was defined as disappearance o r 100% necrosis of all tumors. Partial response (PR) was defined as gr eater than or equal to 50% reduction and/or greater than or equal to 5 0% necrosis. We regarded the lipiodol accumulation in tumors as being necrotic. CR and PR were observed in 8 patients (27%) and 4 patients ( 13%), respectively, and the overall response rate (CR + PR/all patient s) was 40% (12/30). Of 12 patients whose serum a-fetoprotein levels ha d been more than 200 ng/ml before treatment, 5 patients (42%) showed m ore than 50% reduction in this level within 1 month after treatment. T oxicity was quite acceptable, although grade 4 toxicity (WHO) was obse rved as liver dysfunction in 1 patient. Transarterial chemotherapy wit h SMANCS, which is well tolerated, appears to have moderate antitumor effect in patients with HCC.