title: Is Adjuvant Cellular Immunotherapy Essential after TACE-Predominant Minimally-Invasive Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma? A Systematic Meta-Analysis of Studies Including 1774 Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cellular immunotherapy has appeared to be a promising modality for the treatment of malignant tumor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cellular immunotherapy combined with minimally invasive therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched PubMed, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library through March 2016 for relevant studies. Short-term efficacy (the disease control rate, the control rate of quality life and the AFP descent rate) and long-term efficacy (overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rate) were compared as the major outcome measures. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1174 references in 3 databases were found of which 19 individual studies with 1774 HCC patients enrolled in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis results showed that cellular immunotherapy combined with minimally-invasive treatment significantly improved the measures of short-term response (the disease control rate (OR = 5.91, P = 0.007), the control rate of quality lift (OR = 3.38, P = 0.003) and the AFP descent rate (OR = 4.48, P = 0.02)). Also higher 6-month PFS (OR = 2.78, P = 0.05), ≥12-month PFS (OR = 3.56, P<0.00001) rate and 6-month OS (OR = 2.81, P = 0.0009), 12-month OS (OR = 3.05, P<0.00001) and 24-month OS (OR = 3.52, P<0.0001) rate were observed in patients undergoing cellular immunotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis suggested that cellular immunotherapy is a feasible adjuvant treatment that could be beneficial for the improvement of the clinical outcomes for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after minimally invasive treatment, including short-term response and long-term survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Gene and Viral Therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, the Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jiachang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Gene and Viral Therapy, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, the Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qijun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Oncology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhai
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D055612:Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic