Idarubicin <i>vs</i> doxorubicin in transarterial chemoembolization of intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma
Gaël S. Roth, Yann Teyssier, Mélodie Abousalihac, Arnaud Seigneurin, Julien Ghelfi, Christian Sengel, Thomas Decaens
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the second cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the best treatment of intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Doxorubicin is the most commonly used drug despite a low level of evidence. AIM: To compare the objective response rate of idarubicin-based TACE (Ida-TACE) against doxorubicin-based TACE (Dox-TACE) in intermediate stage HCC. METHODS: Between January 2012 and December 2014, all patients treated with TACE at our academic hospital were screened. Inclusion criteria were patients with Child-Pugh score A or B, a performance status below or equal to 1, and no prior TACE. Either lipiodol TACE or drug-eluting beads TACE could be performed with 10 mg of idarubicin or 50 mg of doxorubicin. Each patient treated with idarubicin was matched with two doxorubicin-treated patients. The TACE response was assessed by independent radiologists according to the mRECIST criteria. RESULTS: = 0.797) with 41.7% and 40.0% complete response in doxorubicin and idarubicin groups, respectively. Progression-free survival was 7.7 mo in both groups, and liver transplant-free survival was 24.9 mo and 21.9 mo in doxorubicin and idarubicin groups, respectively. Safety profiles were similar in both groups, with grade 3-4 adverse events in 35% of Dox-TACE and 43% of Ida-TACEs. CONCLUSION: Ida-TACE and Dox-TACE showed comparable results in terms of efficacy and safety. Ida-TACE may represent an interesting alternative to Dox-TACE in the management of patients with intermediate stage HCC.