Treatment Information

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Liver Cancer treatment details. Biologic therapy.

Pascale National Cancer Institute, Naples, Italy.

Survival: monthsCountry:Italy
Toxiciy Grade:City/State/Province:Naples
Treatments:Biologic therapyHospital:Pascale National Cancer Institute
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:May 2004

Description:

Patients: This Phase I/II study involved a total of 19 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, 17 men and 2 women. The average age was 64. Sixteen patinets had metastases (stage IVA).

Treatment: Treatment consisted of pegylated arginine deiminase which is designed to degrade arginine. It is thought that some tumors need arginine to survive.

Toxicity: Two patients died while on the study as a result of complications of their cirrhosis, but the authors did not attribute these deaths to the therapy. Toxicities attributed to the treatment included elevation in uric acid. The authors also reported two grade 3 toxicities, one grade 2 toxicity, and 24 grade 1 toxicities that were all considered unlikely to be related to the treatment.

Results: The median survival was 13.5 months (410 days).

Correspondence: Steven A. Curley, MD






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