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Interferon beta prevents recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after complete resection or ablation of the primary tumor—A prospective randomized study of hepatitis C virus–related liver cancer
Author(s) -
Ikeda Kenji,
Arase Yasuji,
Saitoh Satoshi,
Kobayashi Masahiro,
Suzuki Yoshiyuki,
Suzuki Fumitaka,
Tsubota Akihito,
Chayama Kazuaki,
Murashima Naoya,
Kumada Hiromitsu
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1053/jhep.2000.9409
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , cirrhosis , gastroenterology , hepatitis c virus , prospective cohort study , interferon , randomized controlled trial , cancer , percutaneous ethanol injection , surgery , virus , ablation , immunology , radiofrequency ablation
Abstract Because hepatocellular carcinoma often recurs after surgical resection or ethanol injection therapy, we conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial of interferon (IFN) in patients with chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). Twenty eligible patients with cirrhosis were randomized into two groups: 10 patients treated with 6 million units of natural IFN‐β twice a week for 36 months and 10 patients without IFN therapy. One patient within the treatment group discontinued interferon therapy after 19 months of treatment because of a mild degree of retinopathy. None of the patients in either group lost HCV‐RNA until the end of the observation. Although 7 (70.0%) of 10 patients in the nontreatment group showed tumor recurrence, only 1 (10.0%) of 10 patients with IFN therapy developed tumor recurrence during a median observation period of 25.0 months. Cumulative recurrence rates of the treated and untreated groups were 0% and 62.5% at the end of the first year, and 0% and 100% at the second year, respectively (log‐rank test, P = .0004). In conclusion, intermittent administration of IFN suppressed tumor recurrence after treatment with surgery or ethanol injection in patients with HCV‐related chronic liver disease.