Transarterial Chemoembolization for Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Miriplatin Without the Need for Hydration

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, with a rising incidence. The most common therapeutic choice for HCC is transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). While the standard protocol of TACE adopts cisplatin, the application of cisplatin needs hydration before and after the procedure to alleviate adverse effects on kidney function. Miriplatin, a lipophilic platinum complex, enables the omission of periprocedural hydration compared to cisplatin-based TACE. This study aimed to compare the survival benefit between miriplatin-based TACE and cisplatin-based TACE. Briefly, a retrospective cohort study in a single hospital was designed. Patients with HCC complicated by vascular invasion or distant metastasis were excluded. Background variability was adjusted using a propensity score matching; then, overall survival rates were compared using the Gehan-Breslow-Wilcoxon test. As a result, cisplatin and miriplatin were administered to 166 and 120 patients in TACE procedures. After adjusting baseline characteristics using a propensity score including age, sex, tumor burden, functional hepatic reserve, baseline year, and HbA1c, a pair of 99-patient cohorts was generated. Overall survivals did not differ significantly, despite poorer serum creatinine at baseline (0.89 vs. 0.74 mg/dL, p < 0.0001) and fewer patients being prepared for TACE through prehydration (18 patients vs. 38 ones, p = 0.0025) in the miriplatin group than in the cisplatin group. The median survival time was 1490 days for the miriplatin group and 1,830 days for the cisplatin group (p = 0.4022; ratio = 0.814; 95% confidence interval 0.546-1.215). In conclusion, miriplatin will benefit patients with HCC who cannot tolerate perioperative hydration.