Low-dose intermittent interferon-alpha therapy for HCV-related liver cirrhosis after curative treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: To assess the efficacy of low-dose intermittent interferon (IFN) therapy in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related compensated cirrhosis who had received curative treatment for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We performed a prospective case controlled study. Sixteen patients received 3 MIU of natural IFN-alpha intramuscularly 3 times weekly for at least 48 wk (IFN group). They were compared with 16 matched historical controls (non-IFN group). RESULTS: The cumulative rate of first recurrence of HCC was not significantly different between the IFN group and the non-IFN group (0% vs 6.7% and 68.6% vs 80% at 1- and 3-year, P = 0.157, respectively). The cumulative rate of second recurrence was not also significantly different between the IFN group and the non-IFN group (0% vs 6.7% and 35.9% vs 67% at 1- and 3-year, P = 0.056, respectively). Although the difference in the Child-Pugh classification score between the groups at initial treatment of HCC was not significant, the score was significantly worse at the time of data analysis in the non-IFN group than IFN group (7.19 +/- 1.42 vs 5.81 +/- 0.75, P = 0.0008). The cumulative rate of deviation from objects of any treatment for recurrent HCC was also higher in the non-IFN group than IFN group (6.7% and 27% vs 0 and 0% at 1- and 3-year, P = 0.048, respectively). CONCLUSION: Low-dose intermittent IFN-alpha therapy for patients with HCV-related compensated cirrhosis after curative HCC treatment was effective by making patients tolerant to medical or surgical treatment for recurrent HCC in the later period of observation.

Clinical features and prognosis of patients with extrahepatic metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: To assess the clinical features and prognosis of 151 patients with extrahepatic metastases from primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and describe the treatment strategy for such patients. METHODS: After the diagnosis of HCC, all 995 consecutive HCC patients were followed up at regular intervals and 151 (15.2%) patients were found to have extrahepatic metastases at the initial diagnosis of primary HCC or developed such tumors during the follow-up period. We assessed their clinical features, prognosis, and treatment strategies. RESULTS: The most frequent site of extrahepatic metastases was the lungs (47%), followed by lymph nodes (45%), bones (37%), and adrenal glands (12%). The cumulative survival rates after the initial diagnosis of extrahepatic metastases at 6, 12, 24, and 36 mo were 44.1%, 21.7%, 14.2%, 7.1%, respectively. The median survival time was 4.9 mo (range, 0-37 mo). Fourteen patients (11%) died of extrahepatic HCC, others died of primary HCC or liver failure. CONCLUSION: The prognosis of HCC patients with extrahepatic metastases is poor. With regard to the cause of death, many patients would die of intrahepatic HCC and few of extrahepatic metastases. Although most of HCC patients with extrahepatic metastases should undergo treatment for the primary HCC mainly, treatment of extrahepatic metastases in selected HCC patients who have good hepatic reserve, intrahepatic tumor stage (T0-T2), and are free of portal venous invasion may improve survival.