[Prevention of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma with retinoid].
The annual rate of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative treatment of the initial tumor is reportedly as high as 20-25%. Such a high recurrence rate is responsible for the poor prognosis of patients with HCC. One third of the recurrent HCC arises from intrahepatic metastasis of the initial tumor, one third from multicentric carcinogenesis, and one third from unknown origin. In any type of recurrence, elimination of the transformed cell clone from the remnant liver is essential to prevent the recurrence of HCC. A retinoid analog, acyclic retinoid, induces differentiation and apoptosis of HCC cell lines in vitro. An early clinical trial showed a preventive effect of the compound on recurrent HCC. A further trial of acyclic retinoid is now under way.
Moriwaki
H
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Department of Internal Medicine I, Gifu University School of Medicine, 40 Tsukasa-machi, Gifu 500-8705, Japan.
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012176:Retinoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D012176:Retinoids; D007372:Interferons