Paper

Long-Term Interferon Maintenance Therapy Improves Survival in Patients with HCV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Curative Radiofrequency Ablation
A Matched Case-Control Study
Masatoshi Kudo, Yasuhiro Sakaguchi, Hobyung Chung, Kinuyo Hatanaka, Satoru Hagiwara, Emi Ishikawa, Shunsuke Takahashi, Satoshi Kitai, Tatsuo Inoue, Yasunori Minami, Kazuomi Ueshima

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Oncology 2007;72 (Suppl. 1):132-138 (DOI: 10.1159/000111719)

  Key Words

• Interferon maintenance therapy
• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Radiofrequency ablation therapy

  Abstract

Objective: To assess whether low-dose, long-term maintenance interferon (IFN) therapy inhibits recurrence after complete ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and improves patient survival. Methods and Patients: From June 1999 through May 2006, a total of 127 HCC cases that met the requirements of both tumor diameter 3 cm or less, and number of tumors three or fewer, were curatively treated by radiofrequency ablation therapy (RFA). Among them, 43 patients received three million IU of IFN-2b twice per week or pegylated IFN-2a 90 µg once per week or once per 2 weeks without discontinuation (IFN maintenance group). The remaining 84 patients, whose sex, age, and platelet counts were randomly matched to those of the IFN maintenance group, did not receive IFN treatment (control group). Results: Cumulative first, second, and third recurrence rates were significantly reduced in the IFN maintenance group compared with the control group by Kaplan-Meier estimate. The 5-year survival rate was 66% for the control group and 83% for the IFN maintenance group (p = 0.004). Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model identified IFN maintenance therapy as an independent risk factor for survival, and the risk ratio was 0.21 (95% CI: 0.05-0.73). In conclusion, low-dose, long-term maintenance IFN therapy after curative RFA therapy of HCC significantly inhibits recurrence, and consequently improves patient survival.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Masatoshi Kudo, MD, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Kinki University School of Medicine
377-2 Ohno-Higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka 589-8511 (Japan)
Tel. +81 723 66 0221, ext. 3149, Fax +81 723 67 2880
E-Mail m-kudo@med.kindai.ac.jp

  Article Information

Published online: December 13, 2007
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 4, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 27