RECOMBINANT A2 INTERFERON (A-IFN) WITH CHEMO-HORMONAL THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA (HCC)

Recent studies on HCC treatment reveal a tendency to use combined immu no-chemo-therapy. Additionally, new agents have been suggested in this field. We therefore studied 7 patients with proven inoperable HCC who were treated in accordance with the following protocol, and 5 untreat ed patients used as controls. Therapeutic trial: 1) IFNa (Roferon): 6 MUx7 days consecutively every 3 weeks, 2) Adriamycin (doxorubicin): 60 mg/m(2) i.v. once every 3 weeks (500 mg total dose), 3) Tamoxifen: 10 mg p. o. twice daily continuously 4) Desferrioxamine (DFO): 500 mg i. m. daily x7 days consecutively every 3 weeks, 5) ascorbic acid: 300 mg p. o. daily 1 hour after DFO administration x7 days consecutively eve ry 3 weeks. Follow-up studies were performed monthly and comprised cli nical, biochemical, radiological and immunological (T-cell subsets, NK cells, monocyte-macrophage function, IL-2r expression, HLA-DR express ion) parameters. Compared with the control group, the treated group ha d a longer survival rate (p < 0.001), increased tumor regression and l ess progressive disease. Immunologically, the treated patients with th e maintenance of a sufficient immune status were associated with a pro longed survival rate. No serious side effects of the regimen were obse rved. In conclusion, IFNa combined with chemohormonal therapy appears to be beneficial in HCC patients. In addition, a prolonged survival ra te might correlate with the maintenance of an adequate immune status i n the patients.