IN THE TREATMENT OF MIDDLE AND LATE STAGE LIVER CANCER
Xin Yu-Ling, Peng Ze-Bin China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029

Abstract:   From 1987 to 1991, 165 cases of middle and late stage liver cancer received electrochemical therapy (ECT). There were 108 male and 57 female patients with the age of 33 to 78 years old. 125 were primary liver cancer and 40 metastatic cancer. Among them, 26 cases were diagnosed as stage II, and 89 in stage III, 50 in stage IV. 83 cases costumers were Located in the right lobe of the liver, 56 in the left lobe and the other 26 cases were multiple lesions in both lobes. Total number of tumors were 211. The

number of tumors in diameter of4.0—6.0 cm, 6.1—1.0 cm, 7.1—~8.0 cm, 8. 1—~9.0 cm, 9.1—10.0 cm and over 10.0 cm were 26, 58, 51, 32, 25 and 19, respectively. Under the guide of ultrasonography and CT, electrodes were inserted into tumor mass. The number of electrodes was determined according to the tumor size. The distance between two electrodes was 2.0 to 2.5 cm. Voltage used was 6.0—8.0 V. and current 60—80 mA. Electric quantity was 100 coulomb per 1.0 cm diameter of tumor mass. All patients were followed up for three months after ECT. According to UICC criteria, there were 36 (21.8%) in CR, 65 (39.4%) in PR, 35 (21.2%) in NC and 29 (17.6%) in PD. The 1 to 5 years survival rates were 56.9%, 29.6%, 13.9%, 10.3% and 5.4%, respectively.Key words: electrochemical therapy liver cancer

lt is no doubt that liver cancer has high mortality and morbidity and the survival time of the patient is not more than six months. lt is said that about millions people died of the disease annually in the world. Liver cancer threatens human health and life severally. Although surgical management is the first choice in treatment of liver cancer, only 15—20 percent can be operated on, because most of the patients are diagnosed at late stage. Invasive therapy has been helpful to the remission of the disease, yet it still has some limitations in clinical use. In recent ten years, we have treated late stage liver cancer with electrochemical therapy (ECT) and obtained satisfactory results.

Clinical data

From 1987 to 1991, 165 cases of liver cancer underwent electrochemical therapy (ECT) in our hospital. There were 125 primary cases and 40 metastatic cases according to clinical symptoms, ultrasonography and laboratory tests. 98 of the group were diagnosed by needle biopsy. There were 108 male and 57 female patients with an average age of 49.5 years (33—78 years).

Location of tumors: There were 56 cases located in the left lobe, 83 in the right lobe and 26 cases were multiple lesions (in both lobes). The total number of tumors were 211, including 64 in the left lobe, 102 in the right lobe and 45 in both lobes. 5 of 56 cases in the left lobe and 9 of 83 cases in the right lobe were multiple metastatic lesions.

Diameter of tumors: The diameter of tumors was in range of4.0—15,Ocm. The number of tumors in diameter of 4.0—6.0 cm, 6.1—7.0 cm, 7.1—8.0 cm, 8.1—9.0 cm, 9.0—10.0 cm and over 10.0 cm were 26, 58, 51, 32, 25 and 19, respectively. There were 76 cases had tumors with diameter more than 8.1 cm.

Clinical stage: There were no cases at stage 1 in this group. 26 patients were diagnosed at stage II (T2NOMO), and 89 at stage III (T3N1MO) and 50 at stage IV (T4NOMO). See Table-1.