Vascular endothelial growth factor monitoring in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with radiofrequency ablation plus octreotide: a single center experience

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Octreotide, published as a clinical trial, phase ii.

Medical treatments generally gave frustrating results in advanced HCC especially if comorbidities exist.

The researchers have treated a series of 35 patients affected by advanced HCC (26 M and 9 F; age range: 55-85 years, median: 73 years) with RFA followed by octreotide to primarily evaluate the safety of combined treatment and to give preliminary evaluation on its activity.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 35 patients were involved.

The age groups tagged for this paper are middle-aged adults, older adults and people over 80, both men and women.

Several biologic non-chemotherapeutic drugs are currently tested in HCC and, among them, octreotide was evaluated in single series of HCC patients reporting conflicting results.

Only two patients with Child C compensated cirrhosis were included in this study.

What Was Measured

The researchers have treated a series of 35 patients affected by advanced HCC (26 M and 9 F; age range: 55-85 years, median: 73 years) with RFA followed by octreotide to primarily evaluate the safety of combined treatment and to give preliminary evaluation on its activity.

The researchers have also evaluated serum VEGF changes during the study.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal, Biomarkers, Tumor, Carcinoma, Hepatocellular, Catheter Ablation, Combined Modality Therapy, Disease-Free Survival and Liver Cirrhosis.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a clinical trial, phase ii of Octreotide in 35 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2008 (Oncology reports), a journal based in Greece.

More context: the Octreotide compound page, all human trials.