Lyso-thermosensitive liposomal doxorubicin: an adjuvant to increase the cure rate of radiofrequency ablation in liver cancer. (August 2011)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Poon, Ronnie TP; Borys, Nicholas
• Is Part Of: Future oncology. Volume 7:Number 8(2011)
• Page Start: 937
• Page End: 945
• Publication Date: 2011-08
• Subjects: hepatocellular carcinoma -- lyso-thermosensitive liposomal doxorubicin -- radiofrequency ablation; Oncology -- Periodicals; 616.99405
• DOI: 10.2217/fon.11.73
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1479-6694

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. No more than 30% of HCC patients are considered suitable for curative treatment because of tumor size and severity of liver impairment, among other factors. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) monotherapy can cure small (<3 cm) HCC tumors. An adjuvant that interacts synergistically with RFA might enable curative therapy for many HCC patients with lesions >3 cm. Lyso-thermosensitive liposomal doxorubicin (LTLD) consists of the heat-enhanced cytotoxic doxorubicin within a heat-activated liposome. LTLD is infused intravenously prior to RFA. When heated to >39.5°°C, LTLD releases doxorubicin in high concentrations into the tumor and the tumor margins. The RFA plus LTLD combination has shown a statistically significant dose––response effect for time to treatment failure in a Phase I trial in which most subjects (62.5%) had tumors >3 cm. RFA plus LTLD is currently being evaluated in a 600-patient randomized, double-blind, dummy-controlled trial.