Brief Communication
Evaluation of sodium cantharidinate/ vitamin B6 in the treatment of primary liver cancer ABSTRACT Objective: The present study evaluated the treatment effectiveness of sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 in patient with middle/late stage primary liver cancer. Materials and Methods: A 3‑month follow‑up study on 104 patients with primary liver cancer was carried out. Regular medication treatment was applied to 41 patients and sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 combined with the regular medication was applied to 63 patients. The treatment effectiveness and prognosis were evaluated using the statistical methods. Results: At the end of the treatment, no significant difference was detected between the two groups; 1‑month follow‑up survey showed that in the treatment group, the death rate was lower, the treatment gain was maintained longer and the tumor morphology was maintained better, compared with the control group; 3‑month follow‑up study showed that there was not significance difference between the two groups. Conclusion: Sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 might be used as auxiliary drug in patients with primary liver cancer and could improve the treatment outcomes for a short‑term period. KEY WORDS: Primary liver cancer, sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6, treatment effectiveness
INTRODUCTION Sodium cantharidinate is an effective antitumor medicine that has been tested in clinical practice. It directly inhibits multiple malignant tumors, has low toxic/adverse effects, and therefore is a safe auxiliary antitumor medicine.[1,2] In recent years, researchers have confirmed through in vitro experiments that sodium cantharidinate and its derivatives directly kill the liver cancer cell lines, which provided the favorable theoretical basis for the application of sodium cantharidinate in treatment of primary liver cancer.[3]
Hejun Shao, Guohu Hong, Xinhua Luo Department of Infection Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou, China For correspondence: Dr. Xinhua Luo, Department of Infection Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, China. E‑mail: 2535228276@ qq.com
is rare, and the work that has been done mostly used the degree of the improvement in symptoms as the evaluation criteria for drug effectiveness. The present study applied the objective data as the evaluation criteria to study the treatment effectiveness of sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 in patients with middle‑late stage liver cancer. It provided the evidence‑based support for the application of sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 in the treatment of primary liver cancer and would further guide the development of relevant medication regiment. STUDY DESIGN
Sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 is a combination of sodium cantharidinate and vitamin B6, and has the pharmacological characteristics of both sodium cantharidinate and vitamin B6. Most patients with primary liver cancer suffer from discomfort such as nausea and vomiting, which can be alleviated by vitamin B6. Therefore sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 has dual effects on both the causes and symptoms of primary liver cancer. Sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 is currently a major auxiliary drug in the treatment of primary liver cancer in clinic. It is widely investigated and used. However, the corresponding clinical research
Patients During the period from January 2011 through November 2012, 298 patients with the primary liver cancer were admitted into the Department of Infectious Diseases in Guizhou People’s Hospital. Among them, 261 cases were diagnosed using imaging method, 37 cases were diagnosed using needle biopsy, and 70 cases refused further treatment and therefore were released from the hospital. One hundred and forty‑two patients did not present surgery indications according to the consultation results from the Division
Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics - Volume 10 - Special Issue 1- 2014
Access this article online Website: www.cancerjournal.net DOI: 10.4103/0973-1482.139770 PMID: *** Quick Response Code:
C75
Shao, et al.: Vitamin B6 in liver cancer
of Hepatobiliary Surgery; 41 patients presented surgery indications, however, they and their families refused to receive the surgery treatment; the remaining 45 patients presented the surgery indications, agreed to accept the surgery treatment, and therefore were transferred to the Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery; 125 patients did not present the chemotherapy indications according to the consultation results from the Oncology Department; 32 patients presented chemotherapy indications, but they and their families refused to receive the chemotherapy; the remaining 26 patients were transferred to the Oncology Department; a total of 157 patients stayed to continue their treatment in the Department of Internal Medicine. Diagnosis and Treatment Protocols Twenty‑three patients had severe kidney defects with Model for End‑Stage Liver Disease (MELD)[4,5] score >40, KPS
Evaluation of sodium cantharidinate/ vitamin B6 in the treatment of primary liver cancer ABSTRACT Objective: The present study evaluated the treatment effectiveness of sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 in patient with middle/late stage primary liver cancer. Materials and Methods: A 3‑month follow‑up study on 104 patients with primary liver cancer was carried out. Regular medication treatment was applied to 41 patients and sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 combined with the regular medication was applied to 63 patients. The treatment effectiveness and prognosis were evaluated using the statistical methods. Results: At the end of the treatment, no significant difference was detected between the two groups; 1‑month follow‑up survey showed that in the treatment group, the death rate was lower, the treatment gain was maintained longer and the tumor morphology was maintained better, compared with the control group; 3‑month follow‑up study showed that there was not significance difference between the two groups. Conclusion: Sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 might be used as auxiliary drug in patients with primary liver cancer and could improve the treatment outcomes for a short‑term period. KEY WORDS: Primary liver cancer, sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6, treatment effectiveness
INTRODUCTION Sodium cantharidinate is an effective antitumor medicine that has been tested in clinical practice. It directly inhibits multiple malignant tumors, has low toxic/adverse effects, and therefore is a safe auxiliary antitumor medicine.[1,2] In recent years, researchers have confirmed through in vitro experiments that sodium cantharidinate and its derivatives directly kill the liver cancer cell lines, which provided the favorable theoretical basis for the application of sodium cantharidinate in treatment of primary liver cancer.[3]
Hejun Shao, Guohu Hong, Xinhua Luo Department of Infection Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou, China For correspondence: Dr. Xinhua Luo, Department of Infection Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550002, China. E‑mail: 2535228276@ qq.com
is rare, and the work that has been done mostly used the degree of the improvement in symptoms as the evaluation criteria for drug effectiveness. The present study applied the objective data as the evaluation criteria to study the treatment effectiveness of sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 in patients with middle‑late stage liver cancer. It provided the evidence‑based support for the application of sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 in the treatment of primary liver cancer and would further guide the development of relevant medication regiment. STUDY DESIGN
Sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 is a combination of sodium cantharidinate and vitamin B6, and has the pharmacological characteristics of both sodium cantharidinate and vitamin B6. Most patients with primary liver cancer suffer from discomfort such as nausea and vomiting, which can be alleviated by vitamin B6. Therefore sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 has dual effects on both the causes and symptoms of primary liver cancer. Sodium cantharidinate/vitamin B6 is currently a major auxiliary drug in the treatment of primary liver cancer in clinic. It is widely investigated and used. However, the corresponding clinical research
Patients During the period from January 2011 through November 2012, 298 patients with the primary liver cancer were admitted into the Department of Infectious Diseases in Guizhou People’s Hospital. Among them, 261 cases were diagnosed using imaging method, 37 cases were diagnosed using needle biopsy, and 70 cases refused further treatment and therefore were released from the hospital. One hundred and forty‑two patients did not present surgery indications according to the consultation results from the Division
Journal of Cancer Research and Therapeutics - Volume 10 - Special Issue 1- 2014
Access this article online Website: www.cancerjournal.net DOI: 10.4103/0973-1482.139770 PMID: *** Quick Response Code:
C75
Shao, et al.: Vitamin B6 in liver cancer
of Hepatobiliary Surgery; 41 patients presented surgery indications, however, they and their families refused to receive the surgery treatment; the remaining 45 patients presented the surgery indications, agreed to accept the surgery treatment, and therefore were transferred to the Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery; 125 patients did not present the chemotherapy indications according to the consultation results from the Oncology Department; 32 patients presented chemotherapy indications, but they and their families refused to receive the chemotherapy; the remaining 26 patients were transferred to the Oncology Department; a total of 157 patients stayed to continue their treatment in the Department of Internal Medicine. Diagnosis and Treatment Protocols Twenty‑three patients had severe kidney defects with Model for End‑Stage Liver Disease (MELD)[4,5] score >40, KPS
