title: Arabinoxylan rice bran (MGN-3) enhances the effects of interventional therapies for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a three-year randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the efficacy of arabinoxylan rice bran (MGN-3) in conjunction with an interventional therapy (IT) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of sixty-eight patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (stages I and II) participated in the study. Patients were randomized to receive IT (30 patients, control group) or IT+MGN-3 (38 patients), and randomly divided into two groups using a computer-generated randomization list. Patients and investigators were blinded. IT included transarterial oily chemoembolization (TOCE) or a combination of TOCE and percutaneous ethanol injection treatment (PEIT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the IT+MGN-3 group showed: (i) lower recurrence of the disease, 31.6% (12/38), as compared to 46.7% (14/30) for the control; (ii) higher survival after the second year, 35%, as compared to 6.7% for the control; (iii) significantly lower alpha-fetoprotein level, a 38% decrease (p = 0.0001), as compared to baseline value, while the control showed no significant change; and (iv) a significant decrease in tumor volume, in contrast to the control, which showed no significant change. When the results were analyzed according to each IT modality, MGN-3+IT sub-groups displayed a greater response to treatment, in every aspect examined, than the IT sub-groups alone. However, the patients in the MGN-3+TOCE+PEIT sub-group demonstrated greater reduction in AFP levels and longer survival time than the MGN-3+TOCE sub-group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MGN-3 in conjunction with IT may be useful for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and warrants further investigation in multiple clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatogastroenterology,The 108 Military Central Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Mai Hong
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Tran
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Van Riep
authors.forename: Nguyen Tien
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Thinh
authors.forename: Le Huu
authors.initials: le H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Trinh Tuan
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Dung
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Truong
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Don
authors.forename: Thai Doan
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ky
authors.forename: Deyu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shaheen
authors.forename: Mamdooh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghoneum
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004998:Ethiodized Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D014990:Xylans / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014990:Xylans; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C419427:polysaccharide MGN3; D000431:Ethanol; D004998:Ethiodized Oil; D004317:Doxorubicin