All Stem Cells Korea

Background

Postsurgical recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC=liver cancer) is frequent and fatal. Adoptive immunotherapy is active against HCC. We assessed whether postoperative immunotherapy could lower the frequency of recurrence.

Methods

Between 1992 and 1995, we did a randomised trial in which 150 patients who had undergone curative resection for HCC were assigned adoptive immunotherapy (n=76) or no adjuvant treatment (n=74). Autologous lymphocytes activated vitro with recombinant interleukin-2 and antibody to CD3 were infused five times during the first 6 months. Primary endpoints were time to first recurrence and recurrence-free survival and analyses were by intention to treat.

Effect on prevention recurrence through Immunotherapy

Adoptive immunotherapy is a safe, feasible treatment that can lower recurrence and improve recurrence-free outcomes after surgery for HCC. Adoptive immunotherapy is no longer thought to be useful because clinical success has been confined to melanoma, renal cancer, and lymphoma.
• The recurrence rate after liver cancer surgery is 75~80% generally.
• whereas the recurrence rate after both the surgery and immunotherapy.
• Control group – 74, Immunotherapy group – 76 of 150 patients after hepatectomy, randomized trial
• After 2weeks, 3weeks, 4weeks, 3months, 6months after operation. – total 5 times immunotherapy.

[Adoptive immunotherapy decreased the frequency of recurrence by 18% compared with controls and first recurrence was delayed for 14 months.]

Conclusion

• Immunotherapy Group
Recurrence free – 41%
AVG. of first recurrence – about 33 months
• Control Group
Recurrence – 23%
AVG. of first recurrence – about 19 month

Keyword : Adoptive immunotherapy , Cancer spread, Overall recurrence, Early recurrence, Local recurrence, Extensive recurrence, Distant metastasis, Multicentric tumour