Transarterial interventional therapy is one of the most widely used treatment methods in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma. With the progress in interventional technology and the use of new drugs, transarterial interventional therapy has achieved favorable results in the treatment of primary hepatocellular carcinoma and has become the first choice non-surgical treatment for advanced liver cancer. However, at present, there are great differences in the drugs used in transarterial interventional treatment and the combined application of other drugs among centers, and there is no uniform consensus or guideline. Based on the latest research data and clinical practice experience, as well as the characteristics of Chinese patients, the Specialist Group of Interventional Drugs, Interventionalists Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association was organized to formulate the Chinese expert consensus on intra-arterial drug and combined drug administration for primary hepatocellular carcinoma. The purpose of this consensus is to explore the efficacy and safety of drugs and drug combinations related to intra-arterial interventional therapy, the use of drugs in special populations, the management of adverse reactions, and adjuvant drugs to provide a reference for clinical practice.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology* ; Consensus ; East Asian People ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial/methods* ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Drug Therapy, Combination/methods*

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE)-hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC)-targeted-immune quadruple therapy in patients with intermediate and advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: 101 patients with intermediate and advanced stage HCC were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then they were divided into a combination group and a control group. Patients in the combination group was treated with TACE-HAIC-targeted-immune quadruple therapy, while the control group was only treated with TACE therapy. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and treatment-related adverse reactions were statistically analyzed in the two groups of patients. Statistical analysis was carried out by t-test, χ² test, rank sum test, Kaplan-Meier curve, log-rank test, Cox regression (or proportional hazards model) analysis according to different data. Results: The tumor objective response rate and disease control rate as evaluated by mRECIST 1.1 criteria in the combination group were 80% and 94%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group, 41.2% (P<0.001) and 74.5% (P=0.007). The OS and PFS of the combination group were 15.6 months [95%CI 11.3-NA ] and 8.8 months [95%CI 6.9-12.0], respectively, which were significantly better than the control group at 6.1 months [95%CI 5.3-6.6] (P<0.001) and 3.2 months [95%CI 3.0-3.6] (P<0.001). Gastric ulcer incidence was significantly higher in the combination group (9/50, 18%) than that in the control group (2/51, 3.9%) (P=0.023). Conclusion TACE-HAIC-targeted-immune quadruple therapy is a more effective treatment mode for intermediate and advanced-stage HCC than TACE alone, and attention should be paid to the monitoring of target immune-related adverse reactions.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology* ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of arterial infusion with methylene blue during total mesorectal excision (TME) for better preservation of pelvic autonomic nerve on urination function and sexual function in male patients with rectal cancer.

METHODSA total of 68 male rectal cancer patients from Zhejiang Xiaoxing People's Hospital and 44 male rectal cancer patients from Guangdong Zhongshan Chenxinghai Hospital between June 2013 and June 2015 were prospectively enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into the trial group receiving arterial infusion with 8 ml of 1% methylene blue and the control group without artery infusion, with 56 cases in each group. All the patients underwent TME. Intra-operational lymph node removal and postoperative urination and sexual function (erection and ejaculation) were compared between two groups.

RESULTSThe baseline data of the two groups were not significantly different (all P>0.05). As compared to the control group, the trial group had shorter operation time [(3.28±0.63) hours vs. (4.01±0.94) hours, P<0.01], less blood loss[(92.5±36.4) ml vs. (174.1±61.4) ml, P<0.01], and more lymph nodes harvested per patient (15.8±7.6 vs. 11.9±4.3, P<0.01). One year after operation, classI(, II(, III(, IIII( of urination was observed in 33 cases (58.9%), 15 cases (26.8%), 6 cases (10.7%), 2 cases (3.6%) in the trial group, while 24 (42.9%), 15 (26.8%), 12 (21.4%), 5 (8.9%) in the control group, which indicated that trial group was superior to control group(P<0.05). ClassI(, II(, III( of erection was observed in 36 cases (64.3%), 18 cases (32.1%), 2 cases(3.6%) in the trial group, while 25(44.6%), 23(41.1%), 8(14.3%) in the control group, which indicated that trial group was superior to the control group (P<0.05). ClassI(, II(, III( of ejaculation was found in 36 cases (62.5%), 18 cases (32.1%), 3 cases (5.4%) in the trial group, while 24 (42.9%), 22 (39.3%), 10(17.9%) in the control group, which also indicated that trial group was superior to the control group(P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIn the treatment of male rectal cancer patients, TME combined with arterial infusion with methylene blue can facilitate the distinction of operation scope, which is beneficial to reduce damages to the pelvic nerve, leading to the protection of urinary function and sexual function. In addition, this procedure can result in shorter operation time, less operational blood loss and more lymph nodes harvested.

Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; Humans ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Lymph Node Excision ; Male ; Methylene Blue ; administration & dosage ; Postoperative Period ; Rectal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Rectum ; surgery ; Urination

OBJECTIVETo explore the advantages, feasibility and limitations of hepatic arterial infusion under temporary hepatic circulation occlusion.

METHODSTwelve rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: hepatic artery infusion group (HAI group) and hepatic artery infusion under temporary hepatic circulation occlusion group (HAI-THCO). Microcatheters were separately inserted into the proper hepatic artery and right hepatic vein. For the HAI group, 5-Fu (10 mg/ml and 100 mg/kg) was infused into the common hepatic artery with a high pressure injector for 10 minutes. For the HAI-THCO group, the common hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein were temporarily occluded for 15 minutes using artery clamp when 5-Fu was being infused. For the two groups, at 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 min after the start of infusion, blood samples of the hepatic flow were collected from the right hepatic vein and of the systemic blood flow from the inferior vena cava, 1 ml at each time point. The blood drug concentration of these blood samples was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

RESULTSExcept that at 20 and 30 min after infusion, in the HAI group, the blood drug concentration of hepatic circulation was significantly higher than that of systemic circulation (P < 0.05). But in the HAI-THCO group, the blood drug concentration of hepatic circulation was significantly higher than that of systemic circulation at all the time points (P < 0.05). The hepatic circulation blood drug level of the HAI-THCO group was always significantly higher than that of the HAI group (P < 0.05), but the systemic circulation blood drug concentration of the HAI-THCO group was always lower (P < 0.05). The hepatic circulation maximum concentration (Cmax) of blood drug concentration of the HAI-THCO and HAI groups was (23.057±3.270) µg/ml and (4.408±1.092) µg/ml, respectively, and the Cmax of HAI-THCO group was significantly higher (P < 0.001), being 5.23 times of that of HAI group. The systemic circulation Cmax of the two groups was (1.456±0.217) µg/ml and (2.335±0.669) µg/ml, respectively, and the Cmax of HAI group was 1.60 times higher than that of the HAI-THCO group (P = 0.022). The hepatic circulation AUC of HAI-THCO and HAI groups was (368.927±52.416) µg·min·ml(-1) and (65.630±14.928) µg·min·ml(-1), respectively. The AUC of HAI-THCO group was 5.62 times higher than that of the HAI group (P < 0.001). The systemic circulation AUC of the two groups was (27.193±3.948) µg·min·ml(-1) and (45.301±12.275) µg·min·ml(-1), respectively. The AUC of HAI group was 1.67 times higher than that of the HAI-THCO group (P = 0.014).

CONCLUSIONSHAI-THCO is a simple and effective regional hepatic infusion chemotherapy technique. It can be performed through occluding the common hepatic artery and the hepatic portal vein by balloon catheter. HAI-THCO can not only increase the blood drug concentration in the hepatic circulation, but also decrease the blood drug concentration in the systemic circulation, therefore, distinctly lowering the systemic toxicity.

Animals ; Coronary Occlusion ; Fluorouracil ; Hemodynamics ; Hepatic Artery ; Hepatic Veins ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; methods ; Liver ; Liver Circulation ; Portal Vein ; Rabbits

PURPOSE: Hydrofluoric acid (HFA) causes injury via tissue penetration by the free fluoride ion. Methods for treatment of HFA burns include continuous intra-arterial infusion of calcium gluconate, which is especially useful for patients with dermal burns of the digits caused by HFA. However, no comparative study of tissue injury grade with clinical factors among patients with HFA burns treated with continuous intra-arterial infusion of calcium gluconate has been conducted in Korea. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study at the emergency department of a university teaching hospital between January 2011 and June 2013. The subjects enrolled in this study consisted of 33 patients with HFA burns. After completion of treatment, we divided the patients into three groups according to the type of skin lesions. Patients requiring a skin graft or surgical flap were included in the poor outcome group, those who had to undergo incision and drainage in the moderate outcome group, and those who did not require further treatment in the good outcome group. RESULTS: After completion of all treatments, 22 of the 33 patients were included in the good outcome group and seven in the moderate outcome group; the remaining four patients were included in the poor outcome group, as they met the above-mentioned criteria, experienced longer-lasting pain, and were more frequently treated with injection in comparison with the other patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with HFA burns with long-term pain who need frequent arterial injections despite undergoing intra-arterial calcium gluconate treatment are likely to have poor outcome; therefore, they require more proactive interventions.
Burns* ; Calcium Gluconate* ; Drainage ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Fluorides ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Hydrofluoric Acid* ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial* ; Injections, Intra-Arterial ; Korea ; Prospective Studies ; Skin ; Surgical Flaps ; Transplants

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation via the hepatic artery vs. the portal vein for end-stage liver disease (ESLD).

METHODSPatients with hepatic decompensation were prospectively recruited from September 2010 to September 2012 to receive HSC transplantation via the hepatic artery or the portal vein. Liver function was examined at 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation. Liver biopsy Results were analyzed using the Knodell score.

RESULTSEighty patients (58 males and 22 females) were enrolled in the study. The Child-Pugh score was grade B in 69 cases, and grade C in the remaining 11 cases. HSC transplantation was performed via the portal vein in 36 patients and via the hepatic artery in 44 patients. ALT levels decreased while serum albumin levels increased significantly in both groups at 6 and 12 months after HSC transplantation (P<0.05 compared with pre-transplantation levels). Total bilirubin levels decreased significantly in both groups at 3, 6, and 12 months after HSC transplantation (P<0.05 compared with pre-transplantation levels). Additionally, prothrombin time decreased in both groups at 12 months after HSC transplantation (P<0.05 compared with pre-transplantation level). There were no significant differences in ALT, total bilirubin and prothrombin time between the two groups either before or after transplantation. Moreover, Knodell score decreased significantly at 6 and 12 months. Histological examination showed that liver cell edema, degeneration, necrosis, and inflammation were significantly relieved at 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation. The incidence of portal vein thrombosis, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and hepatic encephalopathy were 1.25%, 3.75%, and 2.5% respectively. The one-year survival rate was 100%.

CONCLUSIONSAutologous HSC transplantation improves liver function and histology in ESLD patients. The administration route of HSC has no significant impact on the efficacy of transplantation.

Adult ; Aged ; Disease-Free Survival ; End Stage Liver Disease ; pathology ; therapy ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Portal Vein ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo assess the methodological quality of clinical research on Chinese medicine (CM) applied by intra-arterial infusion in treating primary liver cancer (PLC).

METHODSCochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, and three Chinese databases, including Chinese BioMedical Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and China Academic Journal (VIP) were searched. Chinese articles were also searched manually in 16 journals. Two reviewers independently selected studies, the quality of literatures were assessed according to the Cochrane Collaboration method of quality assessment.

RESULTSA total of 14 articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Only three of these articles described the randomization method used. None of the studies was blinded. All of the articles didn't report the calculation of the sample size. Only six studies mentioned adverse reactions. All of the studies were of grade C according to the Cochrane Collaboration method. Six studies reported results of survival, and only two of these reported better efficacy in the treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe quality of studies concerned intra-arterial infusion of CM in treating with PLC was poor and the exact effect of these medicines still need evaluation. Well designed RCTs with large sample sizes, adequate follow-up data and reliable methods of assessment are needed to better appraise the real effect of CMs in the treatment of PLC patients.

Biomedical Research ; standards ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; Humans ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Liver Neoplasms ; therapy ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Research Design

OBJECTIVETo explore the feasibility of short-term neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC), and to compare clinical efficacy of short-term neoadjuvant chemotherapy with different ways.

METHODSClinical data of 310 AGC patients treated with one course of NACT using EOF regimen(epirubicin, oxaliplatin and fluorouracil plus calcium folinate) in our hospital from January 2008 to December 2011 were retrospectively analyzes. Efficacy was compared between regional arterial infusion chemotherapy and intravenously chemotherapy.

RESULTSAll the 310 AGC patients completed one course of NACT and none was interrupted by adverse events. Postoperative pathological remission rate was 33.9% (105/310) and 5 patients (1.6%) had complete pathological remission. The pathologic response rate in the regional arterial infusion chemotherapy group was higher than that in the intravenously chemotherapy group(42.4% vs. 23.6%, P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that chemotherapy method(HR=1.827, 95% CI:1.006-3.316, P = 0.048) was associated with significantly higher pathologic response.

CONCLUSIONSPathological response rate is quite low following short-term NACT. Regional arterial infusion chemotherapy with short-term NACT can improve the pathological response rate of advanced gastric cancer.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Epirubicin ; Fluorouracil ; Humans ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Leucovorin ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy

The survival of most patients with both unresectable hepatic and pulmonary metastases of colorectal cancer is poor. In this retrospective study, we investigated the efficacy of computed tomography (CT)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and systemic chemotherapy plus hepatic artery infusion of floxuridine (HAI-FUDR). Sixty-one patients were selected from 1,136 patients with pulmonary and hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer. Patients were treated with RFA and systemic chemotherapy plus HAI-FUDR (ablation group, n = 39) or systemic chemotherapy plus HAI-FUDR (FUDR group, n = 22). Patients in the two groups were matched by sex, age, number of metastases, and calendar year of RFA or FUDR. Survival data were evaluated by using univariate and multivariate analyses. Clinical characteristics were comparable between the two groups. All patients in the ablation group underwent RFA and chemotherapy. Median follow-up was 56.8 months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 97%, 64%, and 37%, respectively, for the ablation group, and 82%, 32%, and 19%, respectively, for the FUDR group. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates after metastasis were 97%, 49%, and 26% for the ablation group, and 72%, 24%, and 24% for the FUDR group, respectively. The median OS times were 45 and 25 months for the ablation and FUDR groups, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, treatment allocation was a favorable independent prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.001) and survival after metastasis (P = 0.009). These data suggest that the addition of RFA to systemic chemotherapy plus HAI-FUDR improves the survival of patients with both unresectable hepatic and pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer.
Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Catheter Ablation ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures ; Floxuridine ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Liver Neoplasms ; secondary ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The only curative treatment modalities for HCC are surgery, percutaneous ablation, and liver transplantation. Unfortunately, the majority of patients have unresectable disease at diagnosis. Therefore, effective treatment options are needed for patients with advanced HCC. The current standard treatment for patients with advanced HCC, according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system, is the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib. Other alternative therapies are required, due to the limited treatment response to, and tolerance of, this molecular target agent. Clinical trials of hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy, radioembolization, and multimodal treatments have shown favorable results in advanced HCC patients. This article introduces new treatment modalities for advanced HCC and discusses future therapeutic possibilities.
Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/enzymology/pathology/*therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Embolization, Therapeutic/*methods ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Infusions, Intra-Arterial ; Liver Neoplasms/enzymology/pathology/*therapy ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Niacinamide/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Phenylurea Compounds/therapeutic use ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Radiopharmaceuticals/therapeutic use ; Signal Transduction/drug effects ; Treatment Outcome