A case-matched control study of intrahepatoarterial chemotherapy in combination with or without regional hyperthermia for treatment of primary and metastatic hepatic tumours

Abstract
The efficacy of the combined application of intrahepatoarterial (IHA) chemotherapy and regional hyperthermia for the treatment of unresectable hepatic tumours was studied in a case-matched, retrospective control study. Well-matched pairs of patients with the same or similar background factors, who had been treated with IHA chemotherapy plus hyperthermia (group A; n = 32) and with IHA chemotherapy alone (group B; n = 32) were included in this study. In group A, partial responses (PRs) were found in 2 of 8, 4 of 8, and 6 of 16 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic gastric cancer, and metastatic colorectal cancer, respectively. In group B, PRs were found in 1 of 8, 3 of 8, and 5 of 16 patients with those diseases, respectively. Overall, PRs were found in 12 (37%) and 9 (28%) of 32 patients in groups A and B, respectively; progressive disease was found in 6 (19%) in group A and in 12 (38%) in group B. These results indicate that this combination therapy is of therapeutic benefit in the treatment of unresectable hepatic tumours.

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