Dendritic cell-cytokine induced killer cell immunotherapy combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: safety and efficacy / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical efficacy of dendritic cell-cytokine induced killer cell (DC-CIK) immunotherapy combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with TACE combined with DC-CIK cell therapy and 38 patients treated with TACE alone (control group) were compared for progression-free survival time, overall survival time, quality of life, and treatment-related adverse events.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median progression-free survival was 16 months in the combined treatment group as compared with 7 months in the control group (P=0.033). The median overall survival time was 24 months in the combined treatment group and 13 months in the control group, with 1-year overall survival rates of 80% and 75.2%, respectively, showing no significant differences between the two groups (P=0.089). Multivariate analysis indicated that Barcelona-Clinic-Liver-Cancer (BCLC) staging and AFP level before treatment were two independent risk factors of progression-free survival time, and BCLC stage served also as an independent risk factor of the overall survival time. Ten patients in the combined treatment group (33.3%) showed improved quality of life, as compared with 4 patients (10.5%) in the control group (P=0.034). Three patients receiving DC-CIK treatment experienced fever and 1 had allergic reaction, and the symptoms remitted after expectant treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with TACE alone, DC-CIK immunotherapy combined with TACE can improve the patients' progression-free survival time but not the overall survival time. The combined therapy also improves the quality of life of the patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and shows good treatment safety.</p>