IDDF2019-ABS-0058 A meta-analysis on the effectiveness of nanoparticle-mediated hyperthermia against hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. HCC treatment remains a challenge; wherein tumor size limits immediate surgical interventions. Moreover, the success of radiofrequency ablation-based treatment is likewise restricted by the number and size of tumor, operator dependent imaging techniques, and collateral damage to the normal cells surrounding the tumor. A promising experimental treatment modality for tumors that can potentially overcome some of these limitations is nanoparticle - mediated hyperthermia (NMH). Currently at the developmental stage, NMH usually utilizes gold or iron oxide nanoparticles to convert the radiofrequency or alternating magnetic field into heat that causes targeted cell death. This meta-analysis therefore aims to assess the potential effectiveness of gold and iron oxide NMH for HCC treatment. Methods A systematic literature search in Scopus, Pubmed, and Google Scholar were conducted to identify relevant studies in gold and iron oxide NMH for HCC cell lines published from 2008 - January 2019. A total of eight studies were included, wherein four studies used gold NMH, and the remaining four used iron oxide NMH. The outcome of interest is cell viability after irradiation in the presence of the nanoparticles. A pooled risk ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using a random-effects model. Results Both gold (RR 0.63; 95% CI [0.53, 0.75]; p Conclusions NMH using gold and iron oxide nanoparticles is effective in decreasing HCC cell viability. This meta-analysis unravels the promising potential of NMH as a new treatment modality against HCC. The results presented provide encouraging insights for the continuous development of NMH for cancer treatment. Considering that iron oxide is more cost-effective than gold nanoparticles, focusing on the development of iron oxide nanoparticles for this nanomedical technology may accelerate the development and clinical application of NMH.