Clinical study on combination treatment using all-trans-retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide by TACE in patients with primary liver cancer

[Objective] To evaluate the clinical efficacy of all-trans-retinoic acid(ATRA)combined with arsenic trioxide(As3O3)by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)for primary liver cancer.[Methods]Forty patients with liver cancer were retrospectively divided into two groups:nineteen in treatment group and twenty one in control group.All of forty patients underwent superselective TACE.Nineteen cases(treatment group)received ATRA 10mg and As3O3 60mg ;twenty one cases(control group)received conventional chemotherapeutic agents(5-fluorouracil 1000 mg,cisplatin 50 to 70 mg,doxorubicin 40-50 mg,mitomycin 8 to 16 mg).Lipiodol-chemotherapeutic agents emulsion was injected into the feeding arteries of tumors followed by gelatin sponge(GS)or polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)particles embolization.Involving 51 patients with primary liver cancer in a four-course treatment by receiving TACE,and the intermission was four weeks of each course treatment.[Results]In the treatment group:there were 5 CR,9 PR,3 SD and 1 PD;the overall response rate was 73.7 %;the AFP and tumor reduction rates were 80% and 84.2%;the median survival time was 15 months.In the control group :there were 3 CR,5 PR,6 SD and 5 PD;the overall response rate was 38.1%;the AFP and tumor reduction rates were 47.1% and 57.1%;the median survival time was 8.5 months.The severe adverse reaction incidence was 10.5%(treatment group)and 38.1%(control group).[Conclusion]All-trans-retinoic acid(ATRA)combined with arsenic trioxide(As2O3)by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)for primary liver cancer is safe and effective for primary liver cancer.