Tumor vaccine against recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of autologous tumor vaccine on recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
Sixty patients with HCC who had undergone curative resection, were randomly divided into HCC vaccine group and control group. Three vaccinations at 2-wk intervals were performed after curative hepatic resection. Delayed-type- hypersensitivity (DTH) test was performed before and after vaccination. Primary endpoints were the time of recurrence.


RESULTS
Four patients in control group and 6 patients in HCC vaccine group were withdrawn from the study. The vaccine containing human autologous HCC fragments showed no essential adverse effect in a phase II clinical trial and 17 of 24 patients developed a DTH response against the fragments. Three of 17 DTH-positive response patients and 5 of 7 DTH-negative response patients had recurrences after curative resection. After the operation, 1-, 2- and 3-year recurrence rates of HCC vaccine group were 16.7%, 29.2% and 33.3%, respectively. But, 1-, 2- and 3-year recurrence rates of the control group were 30.8%, 53.8% and 61.5%, respectively. The time before the first recurrence in the vaccinated patients was significantly longer than that in the control patients (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Autologous tumor vaccine is of promise in decreasing recurrence of human HCC.
Peng
Bao-Gang
BG
Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China. pengbaogang@163.net
Liang
Li-Jiang
LJ
He
Qiang
Q
Kuang
Ming
M
Lia
Jia-Ming
JM
Lu
Ming-De
MD
Huang
Jie-Fu
JF
D000328:Adult; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000209:etiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D019496:Cancer Vaccines