Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Sep 26, 2022; 10(27): 9650-9656
Published online Sep 26, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i27.9650
Efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization using pirarubicin-loaded microspheres combined with lobaplatin for primary liver cancer
Chao Zhang, Yu-Hui Dai, Shu-Feng Lian, Liang Liu, Ting Zhao, Jun-Ye Wen
Chao Zhang, Yu-Hui Dai, Liang Liu, Ting Zhao, Department of Interventional Therapy, Hebei North University Affiliated First Hospital, Zhangjiakou 075000, Hebei Province, China
Shu-Feng Lian, Zhangjiakou Qiaoxi District Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Zhangjiakou 075000, Hebei Province, China
Jun-Ye Wen, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Hebei People’s Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050055, Hebei Province, China
Author contributions: Zhang C, Dai YH, Lian SF, Liu L, Zhao T and Wen JY designed the research study; Zhang C and Dai YH performed the research; Zhang C, Dai YH, Lian SF, Liu L, Zhao T and Wen JY analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by Zhangjiakou Science and Technology Research and Development Program, No. 1821154H; and Zhangjiakou Technology Innovation Guidance Program, No. 2021194H.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Hebei North University Affiliated First Hospital Institutional Review Board.
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Chao Zhang, MD, Doctor, Department of Interventional Therapy, Hebei North University Affiliated First Hospital, No. 12 Changqing Road, Zhangjiakou 075000, Hebei Province, China. zcxzt2016@163.com
Received: May 16, 2022
Peer-review started: May 16, 2022
First decision: July 11, 2022
Revised: July 19, 2022
Accepted: August 16, 2022
Article in press: August 16, 2022
Published online: September 26, 2022
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) using microspheres as the drug carrier and embolization agent shows good efficacy and safety for the treatment of liver cancer compared with conventional chemotherapy.

Research motivation

Data on the clinical efficacy of TACE using pirarubicin-loaded microspheres combined with lobaplatin is rare in China.

Research objectives

This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of TACE using pirarubicin-loaded microspheres combined with lobaplatin for treatment of primary liver cancer.

Research methods

In this observational study, patients with primary liver cancer undergoing TACE were recruited at Hebei North University Affiliated First Hospital. Patients were categorized into an observation group and a control group based on different types of embolic agents. The observation group received pirarubicin-loaded microspheres combined with lobaplatin, and the control group received conventional pirarubicin emulsion with lipiodol combined with lobaplatin. The primary outcomes included progression-free survival, overall survival, clinical response rate, disease control rate, liver and kidney function and adverse reactions.

Research results

In general, the treatment efficacy was better in the observation group than in the control group. Progression-free survival was higher in the observation group than in the control group. After the treatment, alpha-fetoprotein, which represents hepatic function, was lower in the observation group than in the control group. For the primary adverse reactions, the incidence of nausea and vomiting was lower in the observation group than in the control group. However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of pain and fever between the two groups.

Research conclusions

Pirarubicin-loaded microspheres combined with lobaplatin can extend survival and improve hepatic function in patients undergoing TACE compared with those receiving pirarubicin emulsion with lipiodol combined with lobaplatin.

Research perspectives

Further research is needed to better investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of cancer microsphere intervention in patients with primary liver cancer.