Liver Tumour Studies - Hepatoblastoma and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

OBJECTIVES:

• Compare the efficacy of cisplatin with or without doxorubicin in terms of tumor response, complete resection rate, overall survival, and event free survival in children with standard risk hepatoblastoma.
• Compare the toxicity of cisplatin with or without doxorubicin in this patient population.
• Evaluate whether an intensive multiagent regimen including carboplatin, cisplatin, and doxorubicin improves the response rate to chemotherapy and subsequent resection rate of children with high risk hepatoblastoma or hepatocellular carcinoma.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. All hepatoblastoma patients are intended to be treated with primary chemotherapy. Hepatoblastoma patients are stratified by risk (standard vs high).

Patients receive cisplatin IV over 24 hours on day 1, beginning within 15 days of diagnosis. Standard risk patients are then randomized to one of two treatment arms. High risk hepatoblastoma patients and hepatocellular carcinoma patients receive a separate multiagent regimen.

• Arm I: Patients receive cisplatin IV over 24 hours and doxorubicin IV over 48 hours beginning on day 15. Treatment repeats every 21 days for a maximum of 5 courses. Tumor response is evaluated prior to the second course. Patients with responsive disease receive the remaining 2 courses of the preoperative phase, then undergo delayed primary surgery if their tumors are deemed resectable, prior to receiving 2 additional courses of chemotherapy. Patients whose tumors are still unresectable after 3 courses receive 2 more courses of chemotherapy, then undergo surgery if feasible. Patients with stable disease are considered for radical surgery or salvage chemotherapy. Patients with unresectable tumors after 5 courses may be considered for liver transplant or salvage chemotherapy.
• Arm II: Patients receive cisplatin IV over 24 hours every 15 days for a maximum of 5 additional courses. Tumor response is evaluated after the second course. Patients with responsive disease receive another 2 courses of cisplatin. Patients with resectable tumors after 4 courses undergo delayed primary surgery, then receive 2 more courses of cisplatin. Patients whose tumors are still unresectable after 4 courses receive 2 more courses of cisplatin, then undergo surgery if their tumors are resectable. Patients with stable disease may be moved to the high risk regimen or considered for radical surgery. Patients with unresectable tumors after 6 courses may be considered for liver transplant or salvage chemotherapy.