Effect of Long-term Postoperative Interferon Therapy on Intrahepatic Recurrence and Survival Rate After Resection of Hepatitis C Virus-related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective: This study was aimed at evaluating the effects of interferon (IFN)-alpha on survival rate after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: In a randomized, controlled trial by the University Hospital, Medical Center and affiliated hospital in Osaka, Japan, 30 men were after surgery randomly allocated to an IFN-alpha group (15 patients) and to a control group. Patients in the IFN group received 6 MIU of IFN-alpha intramuscularly daily for 2 weeks, then three times a week for 14 weeks, and finally twice a week for 88 weeks. The incidence of recurrence and survival rate were then studied.

Results: The response to IFN was sustained viral response (SVR) in 2 patients, biochemical response (BR) in 6, partial response (PR) in 5, and no response (NR) in 2. In the control, 8 of the 15 patients demonstrated continuous abnormally high levels of ALT. At the end point of the study, intrahepatic recurrence was detected in 9 of the IFN group and in 13 of the control (p = 0.065, log-rank test). The cumulative survival rate was higher in the IFN group than in the controls (p = 0.041).

Conclusion: Postoperative IFN therapy improves the outcome after resection of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.