Interferon alpha inhibits intrahepatic recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma with chronic hepatitis C: a pilot study

Secondary prevention of recurrence by interferon therapy after ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C patients

“…Ikeda [21] 20 vs 10 IFN-β 25 10 vs 70 (P = 0.0004) Kubo [22] 15 vs 15 IFN-a 36 33 vs 80 (P = 0.037) Suou [23] 18 vs 28 IFN-a 60 28 vs 82 0 vs 27 (P < 0.01) (P < 0.05) Shiratori [24] 49 Kubo et al [22] have conducted a randomized controlled trial of postoperative IFN therapy in patients with HCV HCC and have reported that the rate of recurrence is significantly lower for patients with IFN therapy.…”

“…Suou et al [23] administered 6 MU of IFN-a for 24 wk and reported that the 3-year survival rate for patients without IFN-a was 18% and that of patients with IFN-a was 63%. Additionally, Shiratori et al [24] have reported that while IFN therapy does not markedly lower the rate of recurrence the first time, it significantly lowers the rate for the second and third times.…”

Does chemotherapy prevent HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma? Cons

“…Since the first RCT of IFN adjuvant therapy appeared in 2000 [45], four other RCTs have been published [46][47][48][49]. Studies have indicated that IFN decreases the rate of HCC recurrence, and the results of our meta-analysis, totalling 196 patients, consistently show a statistically significant benefit on HCC recurrence.…”

“…Therefore, all these data underscore, from a practical point of view, the need for adjuvant therapy (tertiary prevention) in the effort to prolong survival and reduce recurrence rates. In the past, different anticancer agents have been evaluated for tertiary prevention of HCC recurrence, including retinoids [42], intra-arterial I-131 [43], adoptive immunotherapy [44], and finally IFN [45][46][47][48][49]. Recently, sorafenib, an oral multi-kinase inhibitor targeting both tumor cells and the tumor vasculature is being evaluated in the setting of tertiary chemoprevention.…”

Interferon Therapy for Hapatitis C Virus (HCV)-related Advanced Chronic Hepatitis after Treatment of Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Successful Case.

“…It has been documentedthat HCCdevelops as a result of the accumulation of abnormal genes by repeated necrosis and regeneration of hepatocytes caused by inflammation which ac- companies persistent infection of HCV( 1 1), or by hepatic fibrosis acting as a promoter of liver carcinogenesis (12). There are somereports showinga reduction of intrahepatic recurrence by IFN therapy after the curative treatment of initial HCCunderlying chronic hepatitis C (13,14). But the studies which show that IFN therapy suppresses further recurrence after the development of repeated HCCare very few.…”