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Postoperative interferon α treatment postponed recurrence and improved overall survival in patients after curative resection of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma: a randomized clinical trial

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Abstract

Background/Aims: Recurrence after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequent event. This study evaluated the effect of postoperative interferon α (IFN α) treatment on recurrence and survival in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC. Method: Two hundred and thirty six patients were randomized after resection into IFN α treatment (5 mu i.m. tiw for 18 months) and control groups. Treatment was terminated if recurrence was diagnosed, and recurrence was managed the same way in both groups. Statistical analysis was based on the method of intent-to-treat. Results: The two groups were comparable in all clinicopathological parameters. The median overall survival was 63.8 months in the treatment group and 38.8 months in the control group (P=0.0003); the median disease-free survival period was 31.2 versus 17.7 months (P=0.142). Fever, leucocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia were adverse effects in the treatment group, but were mostly manageable. Conclusions: IFN α treatment improved the overall survival of patients with HBV-related HCC after curative resection, probably by postponing recurrence.

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Abbreviations

AFP:

Alpha fetoprotein

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

AST:

Aspartate transaminase

HBV:

Hepatitis B virus

HCC:

Hepatocellular carcinoma

HCV:

Hepatitis C virus

IFN α:

Interferon α

PEI:

Percutaneous ethanol injection

RFA:

Radiofrequency ablation

TACE:

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank Drs. Zhang Ke-Zhi, Qian Yong-Bing, and Lu Lu for assistance in patient follow-up and data collection. This investigation was partly supported by the Key Projects on Clinical Medicine from the Ministry of Public Health of P. R. China (2001): the novel predictive markers and preventive strategies for the recurrence of liver cancer, and Liver Cancer Center from Bureau of Public Health of Shanghai (2001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Liver Cancer Institute and Zhong Shan Hospital, Fudan University, 136 Yi Xue Yuan Road, 200032, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Hui-Chuan Sun, Zhao-You Tang, Lu Wang, Lun-Xiu Qin, Zeng-Chen Ma, Qin-Hai Ye, Bo-Heng Zhang, Yong-Bin Qian, Zhi-Quan Wu, Jia Fan, Xin-Da Zhou, Jian Zhou, Shuang-Jian Qiu & Yue-Fang Shen

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  1. Hui-Chuan Sun
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Correspondence to Zhao-You Tang.

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Sun, HC., Tang, ZY., Wang, L. et al. Postoperative interferon α treatment postponed recurrence and improved overall survival in patients after curative resection of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma: a randomized clinical trial. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 132, 458–465 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-006-0091-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-006-0091-y

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