Short-term effect of metronomic chemotherapy of low-dose Tegafur on patients with primary hepatic carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation.

Abstract

To investigate the therapeutic effect of metronomic chemotherapy with low-dose Tegafur on patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) after radiofrequency ablation (RFA). PHC patients who underwent RFA were assigned to RFA + Tegafur group and RFA group, respectively. Patients in RFA + Tegafur group received metronomic chemotherapy with low-dose Tegafur after RFA. PHC patients in RFA group only received radiofrequency ablation. Therapeutic efficacy of the two groups was prospectively analyzed within 18 months after RFA. Disease control rate (DCR) and progression-free survival (PFS) in both groups were evaluated. Follow-up data showed that DCR in RFA + Tegafur group and RFA group at 9 months after RFA was 93.3% and 73.4%, respectively (p=0.038). Within the 18-month follow-up, median PFS in RFA + Tegafur group and RFA group was 16.25 months and 12.25 months, respectively (p<0.001). One-year PFS in RFA group was 53.3%, which was remarkably lower than that of RFA + Tegafur group (83.3%, p=0.012). Moreover, the prevalence of major complications in the present study was 13.3%. No treatment-related death occurred in both groups. Metronomic chemotherapy with low-dose Tegafur after RFA can slow down tumor progression and prolong the progression-free survival of PHC patients.