title: Partial response of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma after treatment with thymostimulin.
abstract: We describe a case of partial regression of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma after treatment with thymostimulin. The patient, a 58-year-old man, received no specific therapy for his tumor, but only a thymus extract ("thymostimulin"). At follow-up 6 months later the patient showed clinical improvement, reduction of alpha-fetoprotein level an liver lesions, and a complete regression of lung metastases. The patient died of progression of the disease with 2-year overall survival.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Oncologia, II Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gridelli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pepe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Airoma
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Iaffaioli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frasci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caponigro
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bianco
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D013949:Thymus Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D013949:Thymus Extracts; C031407:thymostimulin