Enhanced Efficacy of Thalidomide‐Based Cocktail With Transarterial Chemoembolization in the Management of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multi‐Center Cohort Study
7 affiliations
- 1National Medical Center and National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Shanghai China
- 2Department of Hematology, Shanghai Geriatric Medical Center Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Minhang Campus Shanghai China
- 3Department of Infectious Diseases Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
- 4Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Cancer Biomarker Discovery and Translation The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou Zhejiang China
- 5Department of Oncology Minhang Hospital Fudan University Shanghai China
- 6Department of Radiology Kecheng People's Hospital Quzhou Zhejiang China
- 7Department of Interventional Radiology The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Wenzhou Zhejiang China
Abstract
This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of adding a thalidomide‐based cocktail (the TCC cocktail—comprising thalidomide, carmofur, and compound mylabris capsule) to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in real‐world practice. Data from 433 unresectable HCC patients treated with TACE at four hospitals were collected (from March 2014 to May 2018, followed up to July 2023) and overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and adverse events (AEs) were analyzed. After 1: 2 propensity score matching (PSM), 114 patients in the cocktail group (TACE + TCC) were compared with 228 patients in the control group (TACE alone). The median OS of the cocktail group was significantly better than that of the control group (p < 0.001; 42.5 vs. 12.5 months) after PSM. ORR (29.8% vs. 21.1%, p = 0.081) and DCR (79.8% vs. 61.8%, p < 0.001) at 6 months were also better in the cocktail group after PSM. Moreover, no life‐threatening AEs (grade 4 or 5) occurred in either group. In this retrospective cohort, the addition of the TCC cocktail to TACE was associated with improved survival and tumor response, with a manageable safety profile.
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BibTeX
@article{xu2026enhanced,
title = {{Enhanced Efficacy of Thalidomide‐Based Cocktail With Transarterial Chemoembolization in the Management of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multi‐Center Cohort Study}},
author = {Jinzhi Xu and Li Song and Yifan Kong and Jie Li and Jian Zhang and Tao Ye and Yongqiang Liu and Xin Yin and Biwei Yang and Zhiying Zhao and Peixin Huang and Yi Chen and Matteo Jiang and Ningling Ge and Faiz Wali and Wenhao Hu and Guoqing Zhu and Jinglin Xia},
journal = {MedComm},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/mco2.71116},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13722950},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Enhanced Efficacy of Thalidomide‐Based Cocktail With Transarterial Chemoembolization in the Management of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multi‐Center Cohort Study
AU - Jinzhi Xu
AU - Li Song
AU - Yifan Kong
AU - Jie Li
AU - Jian Zhang
AU - Tao Ye
AU - Yongqiang Liu
AU - Xin Yin
AU - Biwei Yang
AU - Zhiying Zhao
AU - Peixin Huang
AU - Yi Chen
AU - Matteo Jiang
AU - Ningling Ge
AU - Faiz Wali
AU - Wenhao Hu
AU - Guoqing Zhu
AU - Jinglin Xia
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/31
JO - MedComm
DO - 10.1002/mco2.71116
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13722950
AB - This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of adding a thalidomide‐based cocktail (the TCC cocktail—comprising thalidomide, carmofur, and compound mylabris capsule) to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in real‐world practice. Data from 433 unresectable HCC patients treated with TACE at four hospitals were collected (from March 2014 to May 2018, followed up to July 2023) and overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and adverse events (AEs) were analyzed. After 1: 2 propensity score matching (PSM), 114 patients in the cocktail group (TACE + TCC) were compared with 228 patients in the control group (TACE alone). The median OS of the cocktail group was significantly better than that of the control group (p < 0.001; 42.5 vs. 12.5 months) after PSM. ORR (29.8% vs. 21.1%, p = 0.081) and DCR (79.8% vs. 61.8%, p < 0.001) at 6 months were also better in the cocktail group after PSM. Moreover, no life‐threatening AEs (grade 4 or 5) occurred in either group. In this retrospective cohort, the addition of the TCC cocktail to TACE was associated with improved survival and tumor response, with a manageable safety profile.
SN - 2688-2663
ER -