Pharmacological Manipulation of Intrahepatic Arterial Blood Flow in HCC

Official Title

Hepatic Arterial Blood Flow Modulation in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Influence of Intra-arterial Norepinephrine Assessed With CT Perfusion

Summary:

Dr Rajan is investigating a new method to improve local treatment of liver cancer. There is evidence that a drug, norepinephrine (NE), has the ability to shrink down normal liver blood vessels, but leave tumour vessels wide open. In patients with primary liver cancer, NE will be injected directly in the artery that nourishes the liver and the tumour. Real time blood flow will be measured using an advanced CT scanner to demonstrate the NE effect on blood vessels. If Dr Rajan's hypothesis is confirmed, this drug has great potential to benefit patients during local delivery of chemotherapy in the liver artery, diverting it away from normal liver and towards the tumour, resulting in less complications and improved tumour kill.

Trial Description

Primary Outcome:

• Liver blood flow

This study aims to evaluate the blood flow modifications in liver following injection of norepinephrine in the hepatic artery. These blood flow variations have never been dynamically evaluated before. If indeed blood flow modulation in liver is favourable, the use of norepinephrine prior to localized chemotherapy has great potential to enhance treatment and diminish side effects. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, a primary liver cancer, will be selected for this study. Included patients will have a trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) procedure scheduled as treatment for their cancer. During their procedure, they will be brought to an advanced CT-scanner. CT perfusion imaging will be performed prior, and after the injection of the study drug in the liver artery. Patient's treatment will then be completed. Perfusion color maps will illustrate blood flow. Perfusion values will be correlated to see how the drug modulates blood flow in tumour and in normal liver.

View this trial on ClinicalTrials.gov