Thymosin alpha 1 for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after radical hepatectomy / 中国肿瘤临床

ABSTRACT

Objective: The effect of thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) on patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radical hepatectomy was assessed. Methods: A total of 558 HCC patients treated by radical hepatectomy were retrospectively collected. Patients in the treatment group (n=146) received postoperative Tα1 therapy, whereas patients in the control group (n=412) did not. Propensity scale matching was conducted to improve the balance between the two groups. Changes in liver function, recurrence-free survival rates, and overall survival rates were compared between the two groups. Results: Postoperative liver function (i.e., TBIL, ALB, ALT, and PT) in the treatment group was significantly better than that in the control group (P<0.05). The one-, two-, and three-year recurrence-free survival rates and overall survival rates in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P=0.019 and P=0.011, respectively). Conclusion:Postoperative Tα1 therapy can improve postoperative liver function, thus significantly prolonging recurrence-free survival and overall survival.