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Oral capecitabine for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder carcinoma

  1. Yehuda Z. Patt M.D.1,†,‡,*,
  2. Manal M. Hassan M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.1,
  3. Alvaro Aguayo M.D.2,
  4. Ajay K. Nooka M.B.B.S., M.P.H.1,2,3,4,
  5. Richard D. Lozano R.Ph.1,2,3,4,
  6. Steven A. Curley M.D.3,
  7. Jean-Nicolas Vauthey M.D.3,
  8. Lee M. Ellis M.D.3,
  9. Isac I. Schnirer M.D.1,2,3,4,
  10. Robert A. Wolff M.D.1,
  11. Chusilp Charnsangavej M.D.4,
  12. Thomas D. Brown M.D.1,2,3,4

Article first published online: 28 JUN 2004

DOI: 10.1002/cncr.20368

Issue

Cancer

Cancer

Volume 101, Issue 3, pages 578–586, 1 August 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

Patt, Y. Z., Hassan, M. M., Aguayo, A., Nooka, A. K., Lozano, R. D., Curley, S. A., Vauthey, J.-N., Ellis, L. M., Schnirer, I. I., Wolff, R. A., Charnsangavej, C. and Brown, T. D. (2004), Oral capecitabine for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder carcinoma. Cancer, 101: 578–586. doi: 10.1002/cncr.20368

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

  2. 2

    Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

  3. 3

    Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

  4. 4

    Department of Diagnostic Radiology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

  1. †

    The University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland

  1. ‡

    Fax: (410) 328-0805

*The University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, 22 South Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-1595

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 19 JUL 2004
  2. Article first published online: 28 JUN 2004
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 20 APR 2004
  4. Manuscript Revised: 13 APR 2004
  5. Manuscript Received: 12 DEC 2003

Funded by

  • Roche Pharmaceuticals (Nutley, NJ)

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Keywords:

  • capecitabine Xeloda®;
  • hepatocellular carcinoma;
  • cholangiocarcinoma;
  • gallbladder carcinoma

The authors retrospectively assessed 63 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), or gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) who were treated with oral capecitabine. The antitumor activity of single-agent capecitabine was most evident in patients with GBC, modest in patients with HCC, and poor in patients with CCA. With regard to toxicity, capecitabine was found to be relatively safe for all patients, including those with cirrhosis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The goal of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of capecitabine in patients with nonresectable hepatobiliary carcinoma.

METHODS

The authors performed a retrospective analysis of all patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), or gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) who were ever treated with oral capecitabine. The medical records of 116 patients with hepatobiliary carcinoma who were treated at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX) between July 1998 and March 1999 were reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 63 patients were treated with capecitabine (37 with HCC, 18 with CCA, 8 with GBC). Capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 was administered twice daily for 14 days. Treatment was repeated every 21 days. Each patient received 1–15 treatment cycles. Nine patients (14%)—11% of patients with HCC, 6% of patients with CCA, and 50% of patients with GBC—had either a complete response (CR) or a partial response. A CR was radiologically confirmed in one patient with HCC and in two patients with GBC. The median survival times were 10.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5–15.7 months) for patients with HCC, 8.1 months (95% CI, 7.4–8.9 months) for patients with CCA, and 9.9 months (95% CI, 4.4–15.4 months) for patients with GBC. The most common toxicity was hand-foot syndrome (37%). Grade 3 thrombocytopenia occurred in 8% of patients with HCC. No other significant toxicities were observed. For all patients, response to treatment was positively correlated with survival and decline in tumor markers.

CONCLUSIONS

Capecitabine was found to be safe for patients with hepatobiliary carcinoma, including those with cirrhosis. The antitumor activity of single-agent capecitabine was most pronounced in patients with GBC, was modest in patients with HCC, and was poor in patients with CCA. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.

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