title: The effect of long-term supplementation with branched-chain amino acid granules in patients with hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma after radiofrequency thermal ablation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate whether long-term supplementation with branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) granules improves overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) after radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA) in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)≤3 cm in diameter with up to 3 nodules and a serum albumin level before RFA of ≤3.5 g/dL.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Whether BCAA treatment after curative RFA for patients with HCV-related HCC improves OS and RFS remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the OS rate and the RFS rate between the BCAA group (n=115) and the control group (n=141). We also examined factors contributing to OS and RFS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1 and 3 years OS rates after RFA were 94.0% and 70.0%, respectively, in the BCAA group, and 94.0% and 49.8%, respectively, in the control group (P=0.001). The corresponding RFS rates 1 and 3 years after RFA were 61.8% and 28.0%, respectively, in the BCAA group, and 52.0% and 12.0%, respectively, in the control group (P=0.013). In the multivariate analysis, in terms of OS, BCAA treatment, and serum albumin level of ≥3.4 g/dL, and in terms of RFS, age 70 years or older, BCAA treatment, and a serum albumin level of ≥3.4 g/dL were significant independent factors, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BCAA treatment may improve OS and RFS after RFA in patients with HCV-related HCC≤3 cm in diameter with up to 3 nodules and a serum albumin level before RFA of 3.5 g/dL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka Red Cross Hospital, Tennoji-ku, Osaka, Japan. h-nishikawa@osaka-med.jrc.or.jp
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osaki
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.forename: Yorimitsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koshikawa
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ako
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inuzuka
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Fumihiro
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Azusa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Henmi
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hatamaru
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nasu
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D000075462:Serum Albumin, Human; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: C422455:ALB protein, human; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012709:Serum Albumin; D000075462:Serum Albumin, Human