Prospective randomized controlled study of interferon-alpha in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after medical ablation therapy for primary tumors

Adjuvant Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Treatment: Several Unanswered Questions

Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have a poor prognosis. Hepatectomy and local ablation are the main curative treatments for HCC. Nevertheless, the recurrence rate after hepatectomy or ablation is up to 70%, which seriously affects patient prognosis. Several adjuvant therapies have been explored to reduce postoperative recurrence. However, although a variety of adjuvant therapies have been shown to reduce the recurrence rate and improve overall survival, a standard consensus of national HCC guidelines for adjuvant treatment is lacking. Therefore, there are significant differences in the recommendations for adjuvant therapy for HCC between the Eastern and Western guidelines. A variety of adjuvant treatment methods, such as antiviral therapy, transarterial chemoembolization or traditional Chinese medicine, are recommended by the Chinese HCC guidelines. However, Western guidelines make few recommendations other than antiviral therapy. Adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors are recommended only in the recently updated American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases guidelines. This review summarized the existing adjuvant therapy options after curative hepatectomy or ablation and discusses several important dilemmas of adjuvant treatments.

European Society of Organ Transplantation (ESOT) Consensus Report on Downstaging, Bridging and Immunotherapy in Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Liver transplantation offers the best chance of cure for most patients with non-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although not all patients with HCC are eligible for liver transplantation at diagnosis, some can be downstaged using locoregional treatments such as ablation and transarterial chemoembolization. These aforementioned treatments are being applied as bridging therapies to keep patients within transplant criteria and to avoid them from dropping out of the waiting list while awaiting a liver transplant. Moreover, immunotherapy might have great potential to support downstaging and bridging therapies. To address the contemporary status of downstaging, bridging, and immunotherapy in liver transplantation for HCC, European Society of Organ Transplantation (ESOT) convened a dedicated working group comprised of experts in the treatment of HCC to review literature and to develop guidelines pertaining to this cause that were subsequently discussed and voted during the Transplant Learning Journey (TLJ) 3.0 Consensus Conference that took place in person in Prague. The findings and recommendations of the working group on Downstaging, Bridging and Immunotherapy in Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma are presented in this article.

Usefulness of aMAP Risk Score for Predicting Recurrence after Curative Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma within Milan Criteria

INTRODUCTION

The aMAP score is a prediction model for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk in chronic hepatitis patients. This study was conducted to elucidate the utility of this model for predicting initial recurrence of HCC in patients within the Milan criteria after undergoing curative treatment.

METHODS

Patients with naïve HCC within the Milan criteria (n = 1,020) and treated from January 2000 to August 2022 were enrolled. The cohort was divided into two groups according to the aMAP score (high ≥60, low <60) and then compared for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Comparisons between the high and low groups showed that etiology (HBV:HCV:HBV+HCV:NBNC = 41:79:2:37 vs. 65:589:11:196, p < 0.001), AST (36 vs. 46 IU/L, p < 0.001), and multiple HCC occurrence (15% vs. 22%, p = 0.026) were significantly different. Additionally, median RFS (59.8 vs. 30.9 months; p < 0.001) and median OS (154.1 vs. 83.4 months, p < 0.01) were greater in the low group. As for patients with HCC due to chronic viral hepatitis, there was a significant difference in median RFS between the groups (59.8 vs. 30.6 months, p < 0.001), especially for HCV-positive patients (53.1 vs. 27.2 months, p = 0.002). In patients with HCC due to a nonviral cause, the difference in median RFS between the low (70.9 months) and high (32.0 months) groups was not significant.

DISCUSSION

Findings of this retrospective study indicate a significant association of elevated aMAP with worse RFS in patients with HCC caused by chronic viral hepatitis, especially those with HCV. The aMAP score is considered useful to predict not only HCC-carcinogenesis risk but also risk of recurrence following curative treatment.

Advances in postoperative adjuvant therapy for primary liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous, invasive, and conventional chemotherapy-insensitive tumor with unique biological characteristics. The main methods for the radical treatment of HCC are surgical resection or liver transplantation. However, recurrence rates are as high as 50% and 70% at 3 and 5 years after liver resection, respectively, and even in Milan-eligible recipients, the recurrence rate is approximately 20% at 5 years after liver transplantation. Therefore, reducing the postoperative recurrence rate is key to improving the overall outcome of liver cancer. This review discusses the risk factors for recurrence in patients with HCC radical surgical resection and adjuvant treatment options that may reduce the risk of recurrence and improve overall survival, including local adjuvant therapy (e.g., transcatheter arterial chemoembolization), adjuvant systemic therapy (e.g., molecular targeted agents and immunotherapy), and other adjuvant therapies (e.g., antiviral and herbal therapy). Finally, potential research directions that may change the paradigm of adjuvant therapy for HCC are analyzed.

Tertiary Prevention of HCC in Chronic Hepatitis B or C Infected Patients

Simple Summary

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence is the major obstacle concerning patients’ survival. Tertiary prevention by antiviral therapies could reduce HCC recurrence rate in both chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients. In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, nucleos(t)ide analogues (Nuc) provide a more effective HCC tertiary prevention effect than an interferon (IFN)-based regimen. In chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, the tertiary prevention effect by direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) was reported non-inferior to that by IFN-based therapy. Chronic hepatitis C patients left untreated had the worst survival benefit as well as shorted recurrence-free interval than those treated by either type of antiviral regimen. Although the risk of HCC recurrence could only be decreased but not diminished by antiviral therapies due to host and microenvironmental factors beyond virus infection, antiviral therapy helps to preserve and improve liver function which makes multi-modality anticancer treatment feasible to improve survival.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as a leading cause of common cancer and cancer-related death. The major etiology of HCC is due to chronic hepatitis virus including HBV and HCV infections. Scheduled HCC surveillance in high risk populations improves the early detection rate and the feasibility of curative treatment. However, high HCC recurrence rate still accounts for the poor prognosis of HCC patients. In this article, we critically review the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma and the evidence of tertiary prevention efficacy by current available antiviral treatment, and discuss the knowledge gap in viral hepatitis-related HCC tertiary prevention.

Association of survival and genomic mutation signature with immunotherapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Current guidelines lack recommendations for the use of immunotherapy and immune-related biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aim to provide reliable evidence of the association of survival with HCC immunotherapy and to demonstrate that genomic mutation signature could be an effective biomarker to predict immunotherapy efficacy of HCC patients.

METHODS

We conducted a meta-analysis of 17 randomized trials with 2055 patients and an individual patient-level analysis of 31 patients. Trial data were identified in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Central library, and individual patient data were obtained from the cBioPortal database. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed with the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42018083991.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis showed that compared to conventional therapy, immunotherapy resulted in prolonged OS (HR =0.65, P<0.0001, high quality) and PFS (HR =0.81, P<0.0001, high quality); the benefits were observed for cellular immunotherapy, tumor vaccine, and cytokine immunotherapy. Findings were robust to subgroup and trial sequential analyses. In the individual patient-level analysis of patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor, mutations in TERT, CTNNB1, BRD4, or MLL, and co-mutations in TP53 and TERT or BRD4 were associated with significantly worse survival. These oncogenes were used to develop a novel integrated mutation risk score, which exhibited better utility in predicting survival than the tumor mutation burden (TMB). Patients with low- versus high- mutation risk score had longer OS (HR =0.18, P=0.02) and PFS (HR =0.33, P=0.018). A nomogram comprising the mutation risk score and essential clinical factors further improved the predictive accuracy (AUC =0.840 for both 1- and 2-year OS).

CONCLUSIONS

Immunotherapy showed longer OS and PFS than conventional therapy among HCC patients, especially patients with a low mutation risk score. The nomogram based on genomic and clinical characteristics is effective in predicting survival of HCC patients undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor.

Updates and advancements in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after hepatectomy

Introduction: The 5-year recurrence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatic resection or local ablation is up to 70%. Adjuvant therapies to prevent HCC recurrence have been reported but are not currently recommended by EASL or AASLD guidelines. This review examined evidence from randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews on the safety and efficacy of adjuvant therapies and chemotherapies in HCC patients after resection or local ablation.Areas covered: PubMed was searched through 15 June 2019. Available evidence was assessed based on the GRADE system.Expert commentary: Transarterial chemoembolization is the best adjuvant therapy for HCC patients at high risk of recurrence, antiviral therapy with nucleoside analogs is effective for preventing recurrence of HBV-related HCC, and interferon-α is effective for preventing recurrence of HCV-related HCC. Further studies are needed to clarify the efficacy of adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors. Adjuvant sorafenib appears to offer negligible clinical benefit and high risk of adverse effects.

[Effect and molecular mechanism of interferon-α on podocyte apoptosis induced by hepatitis B virus X protein]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of interferon-α (INF-α) on the apoptosis of the mouse podocyte cell line MPC5 induced by hepatitis B virus X (HBx) protein.

METHODS

MPC5 cells were transfected with the pEX plasmid carrying the HBx gene. RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of HBx at different time points. MPC5 cells were divided into 4 groups: control group (MPC5 cells cultured under normal conditions), INF-α group (MPC5 cells cultured with INF-α), HBx group (MPC5 cells induced by HBx), and HBx+INF-α group (MPC5 cells induced by HBx and cultured with INF-α). After 48 hours of intervention under different experimental conditions, flow cytometry was used to measure the apoptosis of MPC5 cells, and quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression of slit diaphragm-related proteins (nephrin, CD2AP, and synaptopodin) and the cytoskeleton-related protein transient receptor potential cation channel 6 (TRPC6).

RESULTS

MPC5 cells transfected by pEX-HBx had the highest expression of HBx mRNA at 48 hours after transfection (P<0.05). Compared with the control, INF-α and HBx+INF-α groups, the HBx group had a significant increase in the apoptosis rate of MPC5 cells (P<0.05). Compared with the control and INF-α groups, the HBx group had significant reductions in the mRNA and protein expression of nephrin, synaptopodin, and CD2AP and significant increases in the mRNA and protein expression of TRPC6 (P<0.05). Compared with the HBx group, the HBx+INF-α group had significant increases in the mRNA and protein expression of nephrin, synaptopodin, and CD2AP and significant reductions in the mRNA and protein expression of TRPC6 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

INF-α can inhibit the apoptosis of podocytes induced by HBx, possibly through improving the abnormal expression of slit diaphragm-related proteins (CD2AP, nephrin, and synaptopodin) and cytoskeleton-related protein (TRPC6) induced by HBx.

Antiviral Therapy for AECHB and Severe Hepatitis B (Liver Failure)

This chapter describes the principles of antiviral therapy, treatment strategies, medications and recommendations for AECHB, HBV-ACLF, HBV-related liver cirrhosis, HBV-related HCC, and liver transplantation.

Severe exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B is closely related to continuous HBV replication. Therefore, inhibiting HBV replication to reduce viral load may block disease progression and improve the quality of life of these patients. ETV or TDF has been recommend first-line drug for the treatment of AECHB.

A hyperactive immune response due to continuous HBV replication is the main mechanism for development of severe hepatitis B. In addition to comprehensive treatment, early administration of potent nucleoside analogs can rapidly reduce HBV DNA concentration, relieve immune injury induced by HBV, and reduce liver inflammation and patient mortality. Antiviral agents have become important in the treatment of severe exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B.

Long-term antiviral treatment with nucleoside analogs can delay or reverse the progress of liver cirrhosis. Virologic response, viral resistance and adverse drug reactions should be closely monitored during treatment. The treatment should be optimized for maximum effect based on each patient’s responses.

Effective antiviral therapy can suppress HBV replication and reduce the incidence of HBV-related HCC. Patients with HBV-related HCC should receive individualized and optimal multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment. Anti-viral drugs with high efficacy, low resistance and low adverse drug reactions should be selected to improve the patient’s quality of life and prolong survival time.

Methods to prevent HBV reinfection after liver transplantation include passive immunization (HBIG), antiviral treatment (nucleoside analogs) and active immunization (hepatitis B vaccine).

Clinical trials involving sequential combination therapy with NUC and Peg-IFN have shown statistically significant decline in HBsAg levels on treatment and high rates of sustained post-treatment serologic response. Combination therapy with novel DAA and immunotherapeutic approach may hold promise to overcome both cccDNA persistence and immune escape, representing a critical step towards HBV cure.

Review article: the prevention of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Ample evidence indicates an aetiological association of persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Several viral, host and external risk factors for the development of HBV-related HCC have been documented.

AIMS

To summarise and discuss the risk stratification and the preventive strategies of HBV-related HCC.

METHODS

Recent published studies identified from PubMed were comprehensively reviewed. The key words included chronic hepatitis B, HBV, hepatocellular carcinoma, prevention and antiviral therapy.

RESULTS

The incidence of HCC is extremely high in HBV hyperendemic areas. For HBV patients left untreated, significant risk factors for HCC include male gender, aging, advanced hepatic fibrosis, persistent serum transaminase elevation, specific HBV entry receptor (NTCP) genotype, PM2.5 exposure, HBeAg positivity, HBV genotype C/D/F, high proportion of core promoter mutation, pre-S deletion, high serum levels of HBV DNA and HBsAg as well as co-infection with HCV, HDV and HIV. Primary prevention of HBV-related HCC can be achieved through universal HBV vaccination and anti-viral prophylaxis for high viraemic mothers. The goal of secondary prevention has been reached by effective anti-viral therapy to reduce the risk of HCC development in chronic hepatitis B patients. However, whether HCC is prevented or delayed deserves further examination. Finally, several studies confirmed the tertiary preventive effect of anti-viral therapy in reducing risk of HCC recurrence after curative therapies.

CONCLUSIONS

Through the strategies of three-level prevention, the global burden of HBV-related HCC should decline over time and even be eliminated in conjunction with HBV cure.

Management consensus guideline for hepatocellular carcinoma: 2016 updated by the Taiwan Liver Cancer Association and the Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in Taiwan. To help clinical physicians to manage patients with HCC, the Taiwan Liver Cancer Association and the Gastroenterological Society of Taiwan produced the management consensus guideline for HCC.

METHODS

The recommendations focus on nine important issues on management of HCC, including surveillance, diagnosis, staging, surgery, local ablation, transarterial chemoembolization/transarterial radioembolization/hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, systemic therapy, radiotherapy, and prevention.

RESULTS

The consensus statements were discussed, debated and got consensus in each expert team. And then the statements were sent to all of the experts for further discussion and refinement. Finally, all of the experts were invited to vote for the statements, including the level of evidence and recommendation.

CONCLUSION

With the development of the management consensus guideline, HCC patients could benefit from the optimal therapeutic modality.

Asia-Pacific clinical practice guidelines on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma: a 2017 update

There is great geographical variation in the distribution of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with the majority of all cases worldwide found in the Asia–Pacific region, where HCC is one of the leading public health problems. Since the “Toward Revision of the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) HCC Guidelines” meeting held at the 25th annual conference of the APASL in Tokyo, the newest guidelines for the treatment of HCC published by the APASL has been discussed. This latest guidelines recommend evidence-based management of HCC and are considered suitable for universal use in the Asia–Pacific region, which has a diversity of medical environments.

Virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma with special emphasis on HBV

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with high lethality, and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a chief cause. HBV can accelerate HCC via multiple mechanisms. First, HBV induces immune reactions that lead to repeated hepatic inflammation, fibrosis and a deficient immune microenvironment. Subsequently, HBV can modify host genes near the insertion point through DNA integration to cause host cell genome instability and to generate carcinogenic fusion proteins. Additionally, HBV expresses diverse active proteins, especially HBx and HBs, which have a range of transactivation functions such as regulation of apoptosis, interference with intracellular signaling pathways, and alteration of epigenetics. Currently, primary prevention measures for HBV-induced HCC focus on vaccination and antiviral treatment. Here, we report the epidemiology, the molecular mechanism and the progress in therapeutic strategies for controlling HBV-induced HCC.

Effect of adjuvant interferon therapy on hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review

Objective

The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant interferon therapy for hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after different previous therapy.

Methods

An electronic search for articles about adjuvant treatment with IFN for patients with HCC published between 2000 and 2015 was conducted in MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases. All data was tested with Stata12.0 software.

Results

Six trials with a total of 1054 subjects were screened according to inclusion and exclusion standards. Five hundred and seventeen HCC patients were treated with adjuvant treatment with IFN and 537 patients with placebo. Compared to the control group, both the recurrence rate and death rate of HCC in IFN group were statistically lower, especially after transhepatic arterial chemotherapy and embolization (TACE) treatment and both TACE and resection according to subgroup analysis.

There is no statistical significance on the both recurrence and death rate of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma after surgical resection treatment (RR = 0.96, 95 % CI, 0.84 to 1.1, p = 0.59 for recurrence and RR = 0.78, 95 % CI, 0.60 to 1.04, p = 0.09 for death rates).

Conclusions

Adjuvant IFN therapy may significantly reduced mortality as well as recurrence rate of patients with HBV-related HCC after no matter what the previous treatment. On the other hand, there is no statistical significance on the recurrence rate and mortality after surgical resection only. More research is needed into the relationship between effect of adjuvant interferon therapy and previous therapy, especially TACE.

Prevention of hepatitis B virus-associated liver diseases by antiviral therapy

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, particularly in Asia-Pacific countries. The major complications in HBV carriers are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver failure and esophageal varices following the progression to cirrhosis, while some develop HCC without cirrhosis. The progression to liver fibrosis and these other complications could be prevented by treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs); however, NUCs must be continuously administered for a long time. Peginterferon could lead to HBV surface antigen loss. It is difficult to use peginterferon in HBV-infected patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Acute liver failure due to HBV infection and acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B could be treated by NUCs. Universal vaccination programs against HBV could prevent new HBV infections globally. Here, we review the currently available treatments for HBV infection.

Immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma: Primed to make a difference?

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) carries a dismal prognosis and the current treatment is limited to sorafenib, an agent with modest benefit. Preclinical data have indicated that several immunologic mechanisms are at play to promote HCC development and growth while impairing effective antitumor immune surveillance. Several novel approaches geared toward manipulating the immune response to HCC have suggested a therapeutic benefit in early-stage clinical trials, indicating a real potential to augment tumor-specific immunity and improve outcomes in patients with this disease. In the current study, the authors reviewed the barriers to an effective immune response against HCC and contemporary clinical investigations that may be "primed" to alter the natural history of HCC.

Potentiality of immunotherapy against hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the predominant form of primary liver cancer, is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Despite the high incidence, treatment options remain limited for advanced HCC, and as a result prognosis continues to be poor. Current therapeutic options, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, have only modest efficacy. New treatment modalities to prolong survival and to minimize the risk of adverse response are desperately needed for patients with advanced HCC. Tumor immunotherapy is a promising, novel treatment strategy that may lead to improvements in both treatment-associated toxicity and outcome. The strategies have developed in part through genomic studies that have yielded candidate target molecules and in part through basic biology studies that have defined the pathways and cell types regulating immune response. Here, we summarize the various types of HCC immunotherapy and argue that the newfound field of HCC immunotherapy might provide critical advantages in the effort to improve prognosis of patients with advanced HCC. Already several immunotherapies, such as tumor-associated antigen therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors and cell transfer immunotherapy, have demonstrated safety and feasibility in HCC patients. Unfortunately, immunotherapy currently has low efficacy in advanced stage HCC patients; overcoming this challenge will place immunotherapy at the forefront of HCC treatment, possibly in the near future.

Management before hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhosis

The global distribution of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) varies markedly among regions, and patients in East Asia and Central Africa account for about 80% of all cases. The risk factors are hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol, and etc. The risk of carcinogenesis further increases with progression to hepatic cirrhosis in all liver disorders. Radical treatment of HCC by liver resection without causing liver failure has been established as a safe approach through selection of an appropriate range of resection of the damaged liver. This background indicates that both evaluation of hepatic functional reserve and measures against concomitant diseases such as thrombocytopenia accompanying portal hypertension, prevention of rupture of esophageal varices, reliable control of ascites, and improvement of hypoalbuminemia are important issues in liver resection in patients with hepatic cirrhosis. We review the latest information on perioperative management of liver resection in HCC patients with hepatic cirrhosis.

The Importance of Lamivudine Therapy in Liver Cirrhosis Patients Related HBV with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy

Purpose: We have previously reported that continuous hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) might be more effective for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) related to HCV infection (C-LC) or alcohol abuse (A-LC) than in patients who had LC related to HBV infection (B-LC). The aim of the present study was to retrospectively assess the efficacy of lamivudine therapy for B-LC patients with aHCC undergoing HAIC. Methods: Seventeen adult Japanese B-LC patients with aHCC were treated by HAIC with or without lamivudine (100 mg/day) between 2002 and 2008 at our hospital. Their tumors were inoperable according to computed tomography findings. HAIC (LV at 12 mg/hr, CDDP at 10 mg/hr, and 5-FU at 250 mg/22 hr) was given via the proper hepatic artery every 5 days for 4 weeks using a catheter connected to a subcutaneously implanted drug delivery system. Results: Nine of the 17 patients received lamivudine at a dose of 100 mg/day together with HAIC (LAM group), while 8 patients did not receive lamivudine and only had HAIC (non-LAM group). The response rate was 12.5 in the non-LAM group and 0.0% in the LAM group. However, the survival of the LAM group was better than that of the non-LAM group, although there was no significant difference between them. The median survival time of the LAM and non-LAM groups was 310 and 157 days, respectively. HBV-DNA levels were significantly lower after chemotherapy compared with that before chemotherapy in the LAM group. In the non-LAM group, the percentage of Th2 cells before HAIC and after HAIC was significantly higher than in the control group. However, the percentage of Th2 cells in the LAM group after HAIC was not different from that in the control group, although it was significantly higher in the LAM group than in the control group before chemotherapy. Conclusions: These results indicate that lamivudine therapy may prolong the survival of B-LC patients receiving HAIC for aHCC by reducing HBV-DNA level and inhibiting the increase of Th2 cells in host immunity.

Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma: beyond hepatitis B vaccination

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is the major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), accounting for approximately 50% of the underlying etiologies. We reviewed the primary, secondary, and tertiary measures for the prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC. The most effective method for preventing HBV-related HCC is vaccination. Universal hepatitis B vaccination has been shown to reduce the rates of HBV infection and HCC significantly. Once chronic HBV infection is established, antiviral treatment using interferon or nucleos(t)ide analogs is used to prevent disease progression to cirrhosis, HCC, or both. Studies have found viral replication indicated by HBV DNA level to be a strong risk factor for development of HCC. Additionally, periodic surveillance using ultrasonography and serum α-fetoprotein for earlier detection of HCC is also important so that curative treatments with survival benefit can be possible. Finally, adjuvant antiviral treatment using interferon or nucleos(t)ide analogs is used to prevent tumor recurrence after curative resection. Adjuvant interferon treatment prevented early recurrence, not late recurrence, probably due to its antiangiogenetic and antiproliferative effects. Adjuvant nucleos(t)ide analogs demonstrated promising results for preventing late recurrence, probably due to effective suppression of viral replication. Further investigations are required to establish the optimal preventive plans for HBV-related HCC.

Adjuvant therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma after curative treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy in the world. Although resection and various locoregional therapies can achieve eradication or complete ablation of small HCC, HCC recurrence after these therapies is still common. Although candidates for medical ablation usually exhibit compensated hepatic functional status, the frequent recurrence of HCC after successful ablation contributes to short survival. Therefore, attempts to prevent HCC recurrence are essential to prolong survival. Efforts in preventing HCC recurrence after curative therapies include prevention of early recurrence by improving liver immunity and eliminating microscopic tumor foci or micrometastases, and prevention of late recurrence by reducing the hepatitis activity and using antiviral therapies based on viral suppression/eradication. In HCC with vascular invasion, adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization should be considered to provide better control. Whether the adjuvant use of sorafenib may suppress microscopic tumor foci or micrometastases may be unveiled in the near future. This review article will update the algorithms, novel medication or study drugs in the prevention of HCC after curative therapies.

Adjuvant and chemopreventive therapies for resectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a literature review

The recurrence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after potentially curative hepatic resection (HR) is very high. Many clinical trials have explored the efficacy of several treatment modalities to prevent recurrence, including adjuvant and chemopreventive therapy, but they have often reported contradictory findings. As a result, most liver guidelines and liver seminars do not unequivocally endorse adjuvant or chemopreventive therapy for HCC patients after potentially curative HR. To examine the available evidence on this question, we comprehensively searched PubMed for controlled studies that included a supportive care or placebo control arm, and we used the GRADE system to classify and assess the results.

Nucleot(s)ide analogues for hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma after curative treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim

The benefit of nucleot(s)ide analogues (NA) for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative treatment has been widely debated due to the relatively weak evidence. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of NA on recurrence and survival after curative treatment of HBV-HCC.

Methods

A systematic electronic search was performed. All controlled trials comparing NA versus placebo or no treatment were considered for inclusion. Results were expressed as Hazard Ratio for recurrence and survival with 95% confidence intervals using RevMan 5.2.

Results

We included 13 trials with 6350 patients. There were significant improvements for recurrence-free survival (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.54–0.80; p<0.0001) and overall survival (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.43–0.73; p<0.0001) in the adjuvant NA group compared with the control group. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results. There were no serious adverse effects being reported. Lamivudine resistance was from 28.6% to 37.5% but could be rescued by other types of NA or combination therapy.

Conclusion

Our study suggested benefits of adjuvant NA therapy following curative treatment of HBV-HCC. Since the great proven efficacy of NA in improving clinical and viral parameters besides HCC, further studies should be focused on broadening the indications for NA therapy after curative treatment of HBV-HCC.

Association of adjuvant antiviral therapy with risk of cancer progression and deaths in patients with hepatitis-B-virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma following curative treatment: a nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND

Limited information about tumor status and the time at which antiviral therapy was initiated may have influenced effect estimation in previous research. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of antiviral therapies on HBV-related HCC progression and deaths in patients receiving curative treatment based on clear clinical-pathological cancer status and the association of start time of adjuvant antiviral therapy initiation and outcomes.

METHODOLOGY

A nationwide inception cohort study of newly diagnosed HCC patients who suffered from viral hepatitis B and received curative HCC therapy as the first course of treatment were identified from the Taiwan Cancer Registry between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2009. Matched Cox proportional hazards models based on propensity score matching and incorporated time-varying exposure were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

FINDINGS

Among 3,855 HCC patients with HBV, antiviral therapy was administered to 490 (12.7%) following curative treatment. Antiviral-treated patients had a higher percentage of young age, early stage, and smaller tumor size of HCC compared with untreated patients. After propensity score matching, treated patients demonstrated a higher risk of HCC progression (hazard ratio, 1.42; 95%CI, 1.20-1.69) and death from all causes (1.45; 1.15-1.82) than untreated patients. Similar results were also obtained in sub-cohort of patients who were alive with cancer-free status at least one year after receiving curative treatment and the sub-cohort of patients with liver resection. The interval length between initiation of antiviral therapy and first-line curative treatment did not show a significant association with all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that adjuvant antiviral therapy did not reduce the risk of HCC progression or mortality in HBV-related HCC patients after cancer status adjusting.

Postoperative therapy options for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with poor prognosis and often recurs even after curative hepatic resection (HR) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). In fact, recurrence is the most frequent cause of postoperative death in patients with HCC; it can arise through intrahepatic metastasis by the primary tumor or through the emergence of de novo tumors. Even though studies have examined numerous adjuvant therapies and chemotherapies for their ability to prevent recurrence, no consensus recommendations exist about their clinical application. To gain a comprehensive picture of clinical options, we identified 39 randomized controlled trials, involving 4113 participants, which explore the efficacy of adjuvant or chemotherapies to prevent HCC recurrence after potentially curative HR or RFA. The available evidence suggests a significant improvement in recurrence-free survival and overall survival when transarterial chemoembolization is used for patients who are at high risk for recurrence, lamivudine for patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC (>500 copies of HBV DNA/ml), and interferon-α for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected HCC. In contrast, available evidence does not definitively establish clinical benefits of interferon-β for patients with HCV-related HCC, interferon-α for patients with HBV-related HCC, or any of the following therapies for patients with HCC: iodine-125 brachytherapy, autologous tumor vaccination, adoptive immunotherapy, or therapy involving acyclic retinoid, vitamin K2 analog, iodine-131-labeled lipiodol, sorafenib, heparanase inhibitor PI-88, or capecitabine. Though the findings of our review should be interpreted with caution because of clinical heterogeneity and small sample size in the included trials, they highlight gaps in the evidence base, and therefore, may guide future research.

Hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis - strategies for the prevention of hepatic decompensation, hepatocarcinogenesis, and mortality

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a critical stage of chronic liver disease, including that caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the absence of antiviral therapy, 67%-91% of patients with HCV-related LC patients die of liver-related causes, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver failure. Among the therapeutic strategies used to prevent liver-related complications in these patients is standard therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin, which induces a sustained virological response (SVR) in 25% of HCV genotype 1-infected patients and in 69% of patients infected with genotypes 2 and 3. SVR in patients with HCV-related LC has been associated with reduced rates of hepatic decompensation, HCC, and mortality. More recently developed direct-acting antiviral agents have shown excellent antiviral efficacy, with preliminary data demonstrating that an interferon-free regimen that includes these direct-acting antiviral agents achieved SVR in more than 50% of patients with HCV genotype 1 LC. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation, improvement of insulin resistance, and the use of β-blockers for portal hypertension may also reduce liver-related complications. Here, we review advances in antiviral and adjunctive therapies for improved outcomes in patients with HCV-associated LC.

Antiviral therapy after curative treatment of hepatitis B/C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review of randomized trials

AIM

Available published work on the benefit of adjuvant antiviral therapy after curative treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) reports controversial results. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of adjuvant antiviral therapy on recurrence and survival after curative treatment of HCC.

METHODS

We conducted an extensive search strategy. All randomized controlled trials comparing adjuvant antiviral therapy versus placebo or no treatment were considered for this review. Results were expressed as hazard ratio for time-to-event outcomes with 95% confidence intervals using RevMan 5.

RESULTS

We included nine trials (three of low risk of bias and six of unclear risk of bias) with 954 patients. All the included studies used conventional interferon (IFN) as adjuvant antiviral therapy; none of them used pegylated IFN or nucleoside analogs. There were significant improvements for recurrence-free survival and overall survival in the adjuvant IFN group compared with the control group. Subgroup analysis also showed a significant difference favoring IFN therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC patients, but for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related patients, the difference failed to reach statistical significance. A dose reduction was needed in 28.3% of patients and discontinuation of IFN therapy happened in 8.2% of patients due to moderate to severe side-effects.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested potential benefits of adjuvant IFN therapy following curative treatment of HCC, especially for HCV-related HCC. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials of more effective adjuvant antiviral regimens, either used alone or in combination, for virus-related HCC, especially HBV-related HCC, are needed.

A meta-analysis of adjuvant therapy after potentially curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The high recurrence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after potentially curative treatment determines the long-term prognosis.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant therapies in patients with HCC who have undergone hepatic resection, transplantation or locoregional ablation therapy.

METHODS

Several databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) fulfilling the predefined selection criteria. Meta-analyses were performed to estimate the effects of adjuvant therapies of any modality on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Eight adjuvant modalities were identified from 27 eligible RCTs conducted predominantly in Asian populations comparing adjuvant with no adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy, internal radiation and heparanase inhibitor PI-88 therapy failed to improve RFS or OS, while interferon (IFN) therapy yielded significant survival results. The findings of adjuvant vitamin analogue therapy required further examination. Adjuvant adoptive immunotherapy conferred significant benefit for RFS but not for OS. Although cancer vaccine therapy and radioimmunotherapy may improve survival after radical surgery, the results were from single, small-scale trials. Severe side effects were observed in the studies of adjuvant chemotherapy and of IFN therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Adjuvant IFN therapy can improve both RFS and OS; however, the benefits of using this agent should be weighed against its side effects. Combination of systemic and transhepatic arterial chemotherapy is not recommended for HCC after potentially curative treatment. Other adjuvant therapies produce limited success for survival. Additional RCTs with proper design are required to establish the role of adjuvant therapies for HCC.

Antiangiogenic strategies in hepatocellular carcinoma: current status

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide in both adult and pediatric patients. Despite many options, no ideal treatment exists for this highly malignant tumor, and management strategies have varied accordingly. Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is an essential component of hepatocellular carcinoma biology. Innovative approaches such as targeting the nontransformed, less resistant, tumor-supporting endothelial cells are currently under investigation in hepatocellular carcinoma. This review will focus on the current knowledge of the pathophysiology of hepatocellular carcinoma angiogenesis, as well as the reported data with angiogenesis inhibitors against hepatocellular carcinoma.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of adjuvant interferon therapy after curative treatment for patients with viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma

The efficacy of adjuvant interferon treatment for the management of patients with viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following curative treatment is controversial. We have conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to assess the effects of adjuvant interferon therapy on survival outcomes. Randomized and nonrandomized studies (NRSs) comparing adjuvant interferon treatment with the standard of care for viral hepatitis-related HCC after curative treatment were included. CENTRAL, Medline, EMBASE and the Science Citation Index were searched with complementary manual searches. The primary outcomes were recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Nine randomized trials and 13 NRSs were included in the meta-analysis. These nine randomized trials included 942 participants, of whom, 490 were randomized to the adjuvant interferon treatment group and 452 to the control group. The results of meta-analysis showed unexplained heterogeneity for both RFS and OS. The 13 NRSs included 2214 participants, of whom, 493 were assigned to the adjuvant interferon treatment group and 1721 to the control group. The results of meta-analysis showed that, compared with controls, adjuvant interferon treatment significantly improved the RFS [hazard ratio (HR) 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.52-0.84, I(2) = 29%] and OS (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.34-0.56, I(2) = 0%) of patients with hepatitis C virus-related HCC following curative treatment. There was little evidence for beneficial effects on patients with hepatitis B virus-related HCC. Future research should be aimed at clarifying whether the effects of adjuvant interferon therapy are more prominent in hepatitis C patients with sustained virological responses.

A meta-analysis and systematic review: adjuvant interferon therapy for patients with viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant IFN therapy for viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after treatment with surgical resection or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods

Controlled trials of adjuvant treatment with IFN for patients with HCC published between 2000 and 2012 were searched electronically in MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases. According to the heterogeneity of the studies, two different models - the fixed-effect model and the random-effect model - were applied to analyze the results.

Results

Ten trials were screened according to inclusion and exclusion standards. Eight randomized, controlled trials and two non-randomized, controlled trials were included. These ten trials with a total of 1,029 subjects were eventually involved in the meta-analysis; 528 HCC patients were treated with adjuvant treatment with IFN and 501 patients with placebo. Compared to the control group, the recurrence rates of HCC in IFN group were significantly lower (odds ratio (OR) = 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.50 to 0.86; P = 0.02), especially after TACE treatment according to subgroup analysis (OR = 0.73; 95% CI = 0.52 to 1.01; P = 0.06 for surgical resection; and OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.33 to 0.86, P = 0.01 for TACE). The death rates in the IFN group also significantly decreased according to not only total events analysis (OR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.32 to 0.56; P < 0.00001) but also subgroup analysis (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.36 to 0.72; P = 0.0002 for surgical resection; and OR = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.21 to 0.50; P < 0.00001 for TACE).

Conclusions

Adjuvant IFN therapy may significantly reduce the recurrence rates of patients with viral hepatitis-related HCC and improve the survival of patients after surgical resection or TACE. The ideal dose mostly selected is 3 MIU/ml, three times per week, which can make patients tolerate the adverse reactions of IFN better and maintain effective concentrations for a long time.

Effect and safety of interferon for hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

The effect of interferon(IFN) in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial, and no clear recommendations have been proposed.

Objectives

To evaluate the effect and safety of IFN for HCC.

Methods

PubMed, OvidSP, and Cochrane Library were searched from their establishment date until August 30, 2012. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were systematically evaluated and then subjected to meta-analysis.

Results

Thirteen randomized control trials (RCTs) involving 1344 patients were eligible for this study. When IFN was used as an adjuvant therapy for HCC patients after curative therapy, the meta-analysis showed that IFN reduced the 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year recurrence rates. Subgroup analysis showed that IFN reduced the 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year recurrence rates of hepatitis C viral (HCV)-related HCC. The effect of IFN for on hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related HCC patients could not be determined because of isufficient data. After surgical resection, adjuvant IFN therapy reduced the 4- and 5- recurrence rates. All studies reported that IFN could not improve the overall survival of HCV-realated HCC patients after curative therapies. Only one study showed that IFN was associated with better overall survival in HCC patients after curative therapy and subgroup of HCC patients after surgical resection. Thus, meta-analysis was not performed. Different treatment options were used as control to study the effect of IFN for intermediate and advanced HCC patients, thus meta-analysis was not appropriate. All included studies, except for one, reported that IFN treatment was well tolerated.

Conclusions

After curative therapies, adjuvant IFN reduced the recurrence of HCC. IFN did not improve the survival of HCV-related HCC patients after curative therapy. Whether IFN is effective for intermediate and advanced HCC patients could not be determined because of insufficient data. The toxicity of IFN was acceptable.

HBV induced HCC: major risk factors from genetic to molecular level

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly and emerging disease leading to death in Asian countries. High hepatitis B virus (HBV) load and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection increase the risk of developing HCC. HBV is a DNA virus that can integrate DNA into host genome thereby increase the yield of transactivator protein HBxAg that may deregulate many pathways involving in metabolism of cells. Several monogenic and polygenic risk factors are also involved in HCC development. This review summarizes the mechanism involved in HCC development and discusses some promising therapies to make HCC curative.

Aspirin enhances IFN-α-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma via JAK1/STAT1 pathway

STAT1 has a key role in exerting the antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of interferon (IFN)-α on tumors, and its defects in expression is associated with IFN-α resistance. In this study we want to investigate whether aspirin can improve the antitumor efficiency of IFN-α on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through the activation of STAT1. We found that aspirin not only significantly enhanced IFN-α-induced antiproliferation and apoptosis of HCC in vitro study but also enhanced tumor growth inhibition in nude mice. Although IFN-α alone resulted in significant phosphorylation of both STAT1 and STAT3, aspirin only prompted the IFN-α-induced phosphorylation of STAT1. Further study revealed that aspirin-prompted phosphorylation of STAT1 was activated through phosphorylation of JAK1. Furthermore, aspirin-activated STAT1 upregulated the transcription of proapoptotic IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis-associated factor-1 and downregulated the transcription of antiapoptotic ISG of G1P3, which in turn promoted the expression of Bax and activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, thereby sensitizing HCC cells to IFN-α-induced apoptosis. Taken together, our findings suggest a novel strategy of using aspirin to overcome tumor resistance and enhance the effectiveness of IFN-α in HCC treatment through activating STAT1 gene, and have potential implications for improving future IFN-α protein and gene therapy.

Direct transformation of lung microenvironment by interferon-α treatment counteracts growth of lung metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Interferon (IFN)-α is effective in inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the biologic mechanisms of IFN-α treatment in lung metastasis are not yet clear.

Methods

The effect of IFN-α treatment was studied by using an orthotopic xenograft model and measuring tumor size and lung metastasis. Pretreatment with IFN-α before implantation of tumor was done to explore the effect of IFN-α on lung tissues. Cytokines and macrophages were measured by immunohistochemistry and/or PCR assay, using human origin or mouse origin primers to differentiate the sources. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were also assayed by flow cytometry.

Results

IFN-α treatment did not decrease the number of CTCs (0.075%±0.020% versus 0.063%±0.018%, P = 0.574, IFN-α–treated versus control groups), but did decrease the number and size of lung metastasis (number: 1.75±1.0 versus 28.0±6.3, P = 0.008; size [pixels]: 116.8±72.2 versus 5226.4±1355.7, P = 0.020), and inhibited macrophage infiltration (0.20%±0.04% versus 1.36%±0.21%, P = 0.0058) and alteration of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 expression (mean integrated optical density (IOD): 5.1±1.7 versus 21.9±0.4, P<0.000) in the lung, which was independent of the primary tumor.

Conclusion

IFN-α inhibited lung metastasis by directly modulating the lung microenvironment.

Adjuvant therapy after curative resection for hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis virus

The outcome after curative resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unsatisfactory because of the high rate of recurrence of HCC, including intrahepatic metastasis originating from the primary carcinoma and multicentric carcinogenesis after surgery. The rate of recurrence, particularly of multicentric carcinogenesis after surgery, is affected by persistent active hepatitis and hepatic fibrosis caused by chronic hepatitis B or C. In patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC, a high viral load is a strong risk factor for HCC recurrence. Nucleos(t)ide analogues improve the outcome after curative resection for HBV-related HCC. Interferon therapy improves the outcome after curative resection for hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC by decreasing recurrence and preserving or improving liver function when treatment is successful. Low-dose intermittent interferon therapy has also been reported to be effective in suppressing HCC recurrence. New antiviral agents including protease or polymerase inhibitors are expected to be effective because these agents can eradicate HCV in most patients who receive such treatment.

Effects of antiviral therapy on the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection or liver transplantation

CONTEXT

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a fatal disease. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and/or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the major cause of HCC. High viral replication rate and related hepatic/systematic inflammation are the major risk factors in HCC recurrence after hepatectomy or liver transplantation.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

Some of the carcinogenesis-related HBV mutations are also associated with poor prognosis for HCC patients. Antiviral therapy is an option for improving HCC prognosis after surgery. In case of HBV-associated HCC, treatment with interferon and nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs), especially interferon, is effective in improving the prognosis. However, long-term use of NAs increases the possibility of developing drug-resistant viral mutations such as the HBV rtA181T/sW172 mutation, which increases the risk of HCC recurrence.

RESULTS

In cases of HCV-associated HCC, standard interferon with or without ribavirin therapy is effective in improving the prognosis of HCV-associated HCC; however, some HCV mutations, such as the amino acid substitution M91L, are associated with treatment failure and a poor prognosis. Therapeutic efficacy needs to be confirmed using largescale, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials.

CONCLUSIONS

Surveillance of viral mutations during antiviral treatment and a better understanding of the associations of HCC recurrence with viral load, inflammation-associated signaling, and environmental factors can aid the development of more effective strategies for the prevention of HCC recurrence after surgery.

Could anti-HCV treatment prevent recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in HIV-infected patients? Two case reports

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has proven long-term efficacy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Combination therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin has become the standard of care in patients with both hepatitis C virus (HCV) chronic hepatitis and HIV/HCV co-infection. Data on the safety and efficacy of combination therapy in chronic hepatitis C patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is scarce and even more so in HIV/HCV co-infected subjects. We report the successful administration of both HAART and anti-HCV therapies in two HIV/HCV co-infected patients after HCC eradication. These encouraging results might argue for the feasibility of an aggressive approach in the management of co-infected patients with HCC.

Adjuvant sorafenib after radical liver resection for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: Recent research advances

Radical liver resection is still the major treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in recent years. However, postoperative recurrence and metastasis are major obstacles that lead to poor therapeutic benefits. Treatments to prevent recurrence are important for effectively prolonging the survival of HCC patients. Currently, various treatment options, such as transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization, have been comprehensively assessed in clinical practice; however, evidence from large multicenter, randomized controlled trials is still lacking. The emergence of sorafenib, a molecular targeted drug, has opened a new avenue for improving the prognosis of HCC prognosis. Sorafenib might be an effective adjuvant treatment for HCC patients who received curative liver resection.

Effectiveness of biweekly low-dosage peginterferon treatment on the improvement of serum alanine aminotransferase and α-fetoprotein levels

AIM

  The purpose of this clinical study was to determine the effect of a biweekly low-dosage peginterferon α-2a treatment program on serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and α-fetoprotein (AFP) levels.

METHODS

  Fifty-five patients participated in the study. The inclusion criteria included chronic genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, liver cirrhosis, or the absence of cirrhosis in subjects 65 years old or above, and interferon therapy naivety or a lack of sustained response to therapy with interferon-plus-ribavirin or peginterferon-plus-ribavirin. Patients were divided into naïve, relapser, and non-responder groups. The median age of the patients was 70 years, and 73% of patients had cirrhosis. All patients were treated with peginterferon α-2a at 90 µg biweekly.

RESULTS

  The rates of normalization (≤30 IU/l) of ALT levels at week 24 in the relapser group and the ≥2 log(10) HCV RNA decline group were high (74% and 68%, respectively). However, the ALT and AFP levels decreased significantly in each group, including the non-responder group. The ALT levels decreased significantly even in patients in whom the HCV RNA levels did not decrease. Furthermore, the AFP levels decreased significantly in the patients showing no decline in the ALT and HCV RNA levels. Only three patients discontinued treatment within 48 weeks due to adverse events, and more than 70% of the patients experienced no subjective symptoms during treatment.

CONCLUSION

  A biweekly low-dosage peginterferon α-2a therapy is effective for reducing the serum levels of ALT and AFP and may reduce hepatocarcinogenesis in patients with liver cirrhosis and in the elderly individuals.

Long-term results of a randomized, observation-controlled, phase III trial of adjuvant interferon Alfa-2b in hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical efficacy of adjuvant interferon alfa-2b (IFNα-2b) therapy on recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients with postoperative viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

BACKGROUND

Despite most individual trials have failed to meet their primary endpoint, recent pooled-data meta-analyses suggest that adjuvant IFN therapy may significantly reduce the incidence of recurrence in curatively ablated HCC.

METHODS

Patients with curative resection of viral hepatitis-related HCC were eligible, and were stratified by underlying viral etiology and randomly allocated to receive either 53 weeks of adjuvant IFNα-2b treatment or observation alone. The primary endpoint of this study was RFS.

RESULTS

A total of 268 patients were enrolled with 133 in the IFNα-2b arm and 135 in the control arm. Eighty percent of them were hepatitis B surface antigen seropositive. At a median follow-up of 63.8 months, 154 (57.5%) patients had tumor recurrence and 84 (31.3%) were deceased. The cumulative 5-year recurrence-free and overall survival rates of intent-to-treat cohort were 44.2% and 73.9%, respectively. The median RFS in the IFNα-2b and control arms were 42.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.1-87.1) and 48.6 (95% CI, 25.5 to infinity) months, respectively (P = 0.828, log-rank test). Adjuvant IFNα-2b treatment was associated with a significantly higher incidence of leucopenia and thrombocytopenia. Thirty-four (24.8%) of treated patients required dose reduction, and 5 (3.8%) of these patients subsequently withdrew from therapy because of excessive toxicity. Adjuvant IFNα-2b only temporarily suppressed viral replication during treatment period.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, adjuvant IFNα-2b did not reduce the postoperative recurrence of viral hepatitis-related HCC. More potent antiviral therapy deserves to be explored for this patient population. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov and carries the identifier NCT00149565.