Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with apatinib on patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).
Methods Twenty-one patients were treated with TACE combined with 250 mgof apatinib once a day.Disease classification was assessed by investigators using the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors(mRECIST).The evaluation period was 28 days.
Results The therapeutic effects were classified as follows: 3 patients(14.3%)hadcomplete response, 6 patients(28.6%)had partial response, 5 patients(23.8%)had stable disease, and 2 patients(9.5%)had progressive disease.The disease control rate was 61.9%, and the objective response rate was 38.1%.In patients, the most frequent adverseevents were fatigue(94.4%), anorexia(23.8%), diarrhea(19.0%), hypertension(19.0%), and hand-foot syndrome(19.0%).
Conclusion The short-term therapeutic effect revealed that the combination of TACE and apatinib could be a promising treatment for patientswith advanced HCC.Adverse events should be closely monitored and provided with active management.