Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor. Surgical resection remains the first choice for early-stage HCC because the result is superior to other treatments and not limited to liver donation. However, liver resection is criticized because the tumor recurrence rate is more than 50% in 5 years although the tumors are completely resected. In our large-scale study including 1639 patients with liver resection for HCC, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival were 73.7%, 58.3% and 53.3%, respectively. Currently, there are no effective treatments used as adjuvant therapy to prevent HCC recurrence. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent professional antigen-presenting cells, and can capture tumor antigens to provoke antigen-specific cytotoxic T-cells. DCs pulsed with tumor-associated antigens can be used to conduct tumor-specific immunotherapy. Thereafter, DCs pulsed with HCC tumor antigens may be used as an adjuvant therapy to prevent HCC recurrence.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
74
Biological: Immunotherapy with dendritic cells
Chang Gung Medical Foundation
Taiyuan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Disease-free survival
Time frame: From date of surgery until the date of radiographic tumor assessment confirming tumor recurrence, assessed up to 3 years
Overall survival
Time frame: From date of surgery to death from any cause, assessed up to 3 years
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