Safety and efficacy of a peripheral intravenous bolus of Licartin for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

The aim of the present study was to examine the safety and efficacy of a peripheral intravenous bolus of Licartin for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to explore the clinical value of this treatment. Clinical data from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital (Tianjin, China) were analyzed. Thirty-three patients (38 cases) with advanced HCC received an intravenous bolus of Licartin. The patients underwent routine blood examinations and liver, kidney and thyroid function tests 1 week prior to treatment and 1 and 3 months after treatment, and a long-term follow-up was performed. These data were collected before and after treatment was statistically analyzed and compared with that of previous studies regarding the safety of Licartin combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for the treatment of HCC. During treatment, adverse reactions, including non-infectious fever, pain in the liver area, nausea and vomiting, occurred in a minority of patients. The adverse reactions were endured in the majority of cases and the symptoms were spontaneously relieved. Following treatment, 15 patients (39.47% of cases) demonstrated drug-related adverse reactions, including decreased white blood cell counts, platelet counts, hemoglobin levels and neutrophil counts, and increased levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, serum direct bilirubin, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, from high to low incidence. Electrocardiograms indicated no significant differences in thyroid function between patients before and after treatment, and showed stable vital signs. This study demonstrated that peripheral intravenous bolus administration of Licartin for radioimmunotherapy is safe and effective, is tolerated by the patient and may potentially become a routine treatment for HCC.