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A phase II study of oxaliplatin in combination with doxorubicin as first-line systemic chemotherapy in patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma

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Abstract

Purpose

We designed a phase II trial of the combination with oxaliplatin and doxorubicin for patients with unresectable HCC to evaluate the overall response rate (ORR) and the toxicity.

Methods

Forty patients with inoperable, systemic chemotherapy naive HCC were enrolled. Finally, 32 patients received oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2) and doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) every 3 weeks.

Results

Eighty-two treatment cycles were administered (median 2 cycles, range 1–6). There was no treatment-related mortality. The ORR was 15.6% (95% CI, 3.3–28.7) with five partial responses. The median overall survival and median overall progression free survival were 31 weeks (95% CI, 22–40 weeks) and 12 weeks (95% CI, 5-19 weeks). Nausea and peripheral neuropathy were most frequent non-hematologic toxicities (nausea, n = 15; peripheral neuropathy, n = 10). The most frequent grade 3–4 hematologic adverse event was neutropenia (14 of 82 cycles) including three cases of febrile neutropenia.

Conclusions

The combination of oxaliplatin and doxorubicin showed modest activity and a tolerable toxicity profile in advanced HCC patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 135-710, South Korea

    Ji Eun Uhm, Joon Oh Park, Jeeyun Lee, Young Suk Park, Se Hoon Park, Won Ki Kang & Ho Yeong Lim

  2. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Byung Chul Yoo, Seung Woon Paik & Kwang Cheol Koh

Authors
  1. Ji Eun Uhm
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  2. Joon Oh Park
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  3. Jeeyun Lee
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  4. Young Suk Park
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  5. Se Hoon Park
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  9. Won Ki Kang
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  10. Ho Yeong Lim
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Correspondence to Ho Yeong Lim.

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Uhm, J.E., Park, J.O., Lee, J. et al. A phase II study of oxaliplatin in combination with doxorubicin as first-line systemic chemotherapy in patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 63, 929–935 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-008-0817-4

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