Improved long-term survival for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a combination of surgery and intrahepatic arterial infusion of 131I-anti-HCC mAb. Phase I/II clinical trials.
Resectional therapy has been accepted as the only curative therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, it is estimated that only 10% of HCC are resectable at the time of diagnosis. Cytoreduction and sequential resection offer a new hope for patients with unresectable HCC. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is an attractive approach for cytoreduction. We have previously shown that intrahepatic arterial 131I-labelled anti-HCC monoclonal antibody (131I-Hepama-1 mAb) could be used safely in combination with hepatic artery ligation for treatment of unresectable HCC, and encouraging results have been achieved. In this paper, the long-term survival and the prognostic factors in HCC patients treated with radioimmunotherapy will be analysed. Sixty-five patients with surgically verified unresectable HCC were treated with hepatic artery ligation plus hepatic artery cannulation and infusion from 1990 to 1992. Thirty-two patients were enrolled in a phase I-II clinical trial with infusion of 131I-radiolabelled anti-HCC monoclonal antibody (Hepama-1 mAb) via the hepatic artery (the RIT group). Another 33 patients formed the group treated with intrahepatic-arterial chemotherapy (the non-RIT group). T cell subsets were measured in 24 patients and human anti-(murine Ig) antibody (HAMA) were monitored in the RIT group. The 5-year survival rate was significantly higher in the RIT group than in the chemotherapy group, being 28.1% compared to 9.1% (P < 0.05); this was mainly a result of better cytoreduction and a higher sequential resection rate (53.1% compared to 9.1%). Significant prognostic factors in the RIT group included tumour capsule status and the number of tumour nodules. HAMA incidence and CD4+ T lymphocytes influenced short-term, but not long-term survival. It is suggested that intrahepatic-arterial RIT, using 131I-Hepama-1 mAb, combined with hepatic artery ligation might be an effective approach to improve long-term survival in some patients with unresectable HCC, which may successfully be made resectable by intra-arterial infusion of 131I-Hepama-1 mAb.
Zeng
Z C
ZC
Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, PR China.
Tang
Z Y
ZY
Liu
K D
KD
Lu
J Z
JZ
Xie
H
H
Yao
Z
Z
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016499:Radioimmunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes