title: [Cytokine-induced killer cells transfusion following minimally invasive and interventional therapy for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma:a long-term study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety and efficiency of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and subsequent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) combined with cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells transfusion for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was conducted for 63 early-stage HCC patients who were treated with TACE and sequential RFA in this hospital between July 2001 and January 2012. These patients were divided into two groups: TACE+RFA+CIK (31 patients) and TACE+RFA (32 patients). Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse events were compared between two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median OS and PFS in the TACE+RFA+CIK group were significantly longer than those in TACE+RFA group (OS: 107.5 vs 61.4 months, respectively, P=0.038; PFS: 43.0 vs 30.0 months respectively, P=0.024).The 3-, 5- and 10-year cumulative overall survival rates in the TACE+RFA+CIK group were higher than those in the TACE+RFA group (93.3%, 77.7% and 35.4% vs 76.7%, 57.7% and 29.3%, respectively). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative progression-free survival rates were also higher in the TACE+RFA+CIK group (93.5%, 66.4% and 28.4% vs 84.4%, 38.5% and 0.1%, respectively). No serious complications were observed in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that CIK cells transfusion is safe, feasible, and superior in prolonging the OS and PFS time of early-stage HCC. However, any conclusions must be confirmed by more clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Minimally Invasive and Interventional Department, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors.forename: Annan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Minimally Invasive and Interventional Department, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Minimally Invasive and Interventional Department, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors.forename: Fangming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Minimally Invasive and Interventional Department, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors.forename: Zhimei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Minimally Invasive and Interventional Department, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors.forename: Jianchuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Minimally Invasive and Interventional Department, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China; Email: wuph@sysucc.org.cn.
authors.forename: Peihong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D001158:Arteries; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D055612:Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D015996:Survival Rate