To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and adverse reactions of raltitrexed plus oxaliplatin (RALOX project) and S1 in patients with advanced primary liver cancer.

Seventy-one patients with advanced primary liver cancer admitted to 6 cancer centers from July 2013 to July 2015 were divided into 2 groups according to the wishes of the patients and their families: RALOX group (34 patients) and S1 group (37 patients). The therapeutic efficacy such as objective remission rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), median overall survival (mOS), median progression free survival (mPFS), one year survival rate (SR), and adverse reactions in these patients were evaluated.

Thirty-one patients could be evaluated in RALOX group, and 6 patients obtained partial response (PR), 10 stable disease (SD) and 15 progressive disease (PD). Thirty-three patients could be evaluated in S1 group, and 3 patients obtained PR, 8 patients SD and 22 PD. The ORR, DCR, and one year SR were 19.4% vs. 9.1%, 51.6% vs. 33.3%, and 22.6% vs. 12.1% respectively, and there were no statistically significant differences in the two groups (χ²=1.393, P=0.238; χ²=2.190, P=0.139; χ²=1.229, P=0.268). The mOS and mPFS were 7.2 months vs. 6.1 months and 3.4 months vs. 2.8 months, and there were statistically significant differences in the two groups (χ²=6.433, P=0.011; χ²=4.078, P=0.043). There was more serious peripheral nerve toxicity (29.0% vs. 3.0%, χ²=6.344, P=0.012) and lighter hand-foot syndrome (9.7% vs. 30.3%, χ²=4.201, P=0.040) in RALOX group than S1 group. But the incidences of other adverse effects were similar in the two groups.

RALOX project is safe and effective to the patients with advanced primary liver cancer. Compare with S1 project, RALOX project has better curative effects and the majority of adverse reactions are tolerable. The patients have good condition control and survival benefit.

Liver neoplasms; Platinum compounds; Antimetabolites, antineoplastic; S1