ObjectiveTo study the epidemiologic characteristics of primary liver cancer (PLC). MethodsThe literatures about regional distribution and etiologic epidemiology of PLC were reviewed. Results PLC was mainly distributed on caostland in the south-east of China. The main cause of PLC was hepatitis B virus, aflatoxin and contamination of drinking water. Otherwise, PLS was also related with lack of some trace element, sex horemones, genealogy cause and so on.Conclusion The genesis of PLC was by multiple factors.
Objective To summarize the role of the relationship between liver cancer and cellular immunological function, and the role of immune therapy in clinical application. Methods To analyze the relationship between liver cancer and cellular immunological function, and the present research situation of immune therapy for liver cancer in clinical application retrospectively via review the related domestic and foreign literatures. Results The cellular immune dysfunction existed in all liver cancer patients. The state of body’s cellular immunological function is closely related with the arising and development of liver cancer, and the lowness of cellular immunological function is an important factor of hepatocellular carcinoma hard to cure or recurrence and metastasis. Immune therapy plays an important role in the treatment of liver cancer by adjusting the body’s cellular immunological function. Conclusions Liver cancer is closely related with the body’s cellular immunological function. Immune therapy is expected to offer a new way for the treatment of liver cancer, which can also be used as an important auxiliary treatment way.
Objective To study the effects of pcDNA3/AFP/TK/Angio fusion gene targeting therapy for human primary liver cancer in nude mice implanted with SMMC-7721. Methods Human liver cancer cell line SMMC-7721 was implanted subcutaneously in nude mice to establish experiment model. Animals bearing liver cancer were randomly divided into five groups: control group， vector group， GCV (ganciclovir) group， pcDNA3/TK/Angio group; pcDNA3/AFP/TK/Angio group. Different plasmids were directly injected into tumors and GCV was intraperitoneally administrated simultaneously according to different groups. The growth of tumors was observed and the pathology was examined as well. Serum AFP level was measured by radioimmunology, the ultrastructural change of tumor cells was studied by using electron microscopy, the expressions of MVD and VEGF were respectively detected with immunohistochemistry and the cell apoptosis in situ was detected by TUNEL. Results The success rate to establish subcutaneous implanted liver cancer model in nude mice was 100%. The tumor volume, serum AFP level, VEGF and MVD expressions of pcDNA3/TK/Angio group and pcDNA3/AFP/TK/Angio group were lower than those in control group, vector group and GCV group (P＜0.05) and more apoptosis cells could be observed. While the tumor volume, serum AFP level, VEGF and MVD expressions of pcDNA3/AFP/TK/Angio group was lower than those in pcDNA3/TK/Angio group (P＜0.05); and apoptosis index was higher than that of the latter (P＜0.05).Conclusion pcDNA3/AFP/TK/Angio fusion gene inhibits the growth of tumor remarkably and becomes a promising new biological agent to treat human primary liver cancer.
ObjectiveTo study the clinical role of spleen/remnant liver volume ratio in evaluating liver reserve function after surgical treatment for liver cancer. MethodsTo calculate the ratio of spleen volume/remnant liver volume after tumor excision with imaging method and immersion method; to analyze the relationships between spleen/remnant liver volume ratio and liver function score after operation as well as hospital stay. ResultsLiver function ChildPugh score was related mainly with spleen/remnant liver volume ratio (t=7.831, P=0.000), which was proved by multiple regression analysis. The median hospital stay of the group with spleen/remnant liver ratio ≤0.9 was 14 d （12-16 d）, which was less than that (22 d, 15-29 d) of the other group with the ratio gt;0.9 (P=0.000). ConclusionsSpleen/remnant liver volume ratio can predict effectively recovery ability of patients after operation for liver cancer， and assess correctly the reserve function of liver. When the ratio is less than or equal 0.9, the operation is safe.
The serum level of testosterone (T), estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) in 86 cases with primary liver cancer (PLC) (male：76 cases; female：10 cases) was determined by RIA method. The result showed that for male cases, serum level of T and ratio of T/E２ in operation group and nonoperation group was significantly higher than that in benign hepatic diseases group (BHD group) and normal control group (NC group), but the value of E２ obviously lower than the later two groups. After tumor resection, the level of E2 increased, while serum level of T and value of T/E２ decreased, which had no significant difference as contrasted with BHD group and NC group. The serum level of T,E2 in female PLC group made no difference to BHD group and NC group, but the value of T/E2 much higher than NC group. No obvious changes of the serum level of progesterone can be observed in both male and female cases. Our research showed that high serum testosterone level and low estradiol level may be concerned with PLC. The possibility and importance of sex hormone imbalance on initializing and developing of PLC is suggested.
Twenty-one patients(male 18 cases,femal 3 cases)died of primary liver cancer after operation are reviewed.The liver tumors were located in the right lobe(13 cases),left lobe(3 cases),middle position of liver(4 cases)and hepatic hilum(1 cases).The average diameter of the tumors were 9.0cm.All the patients had suffered from liver cirrhosis and were operated on (most of them partial hepatectomy).The times of death were about 7 days,7-14 days later after operation.The data suggest that causes of death were different from the different stage after operation.The relations between partial hepatectomy and hepatic failure,and the liver cirrhosis and liver regeneration are discussed.
Objective To evaluate the impact of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization（TACE） on survival and tumor recurrence in patients with primary liver cancer， provide reference of clinical diagnosis and treatment for the primary liver cancer patients. Methods Two hundred and twenty-two cases of primary liver cancer were divided into TACE group （n=110） and control group （n=110）， TACE was performed after operation in the TACE group， convention treatment was performed after operation in the control group. The survival and tumor recurrence rates were compared between the TACE group and control group. Results The 1-， 2-， and 3-year survival rates were 83.64%， 56.36%，and 42.73% in the TACE group， respectively， which were 65.45%， 40.91%， and 21.82% in the control group，respectively. The differences were statistically significant （P＜0.05）. The 1-， 2-， and 3-year tumor recurrence rates were 20.91%， 54.55%， and 67.27% in the TACE group， respectively， which were 38.18%， 57.27%， and 70.91% in the control group， respectively. The 1-year tumor recurrence rate in the TACE group was significantly lower than that in the control group （P＜0.05）， but the differences of the 2- and 3-year recurrence rates were not statistically significant（P＞0.05）. Conclusions TACE treatment for primary liver cancer patients can increase long-term survival， but can’tdecrease long-term recurrence.
Objective To state operative details of lip-shaped hepatectomy (LSH) and evaluate its advantage in treatment of primary liver cancer (PLC).Methods LSH is one of the irregular hepatectomies. The key lies in the following five operative kinks: ①adequately mobilizing perihepatic ligaments; ②designing lip-shaped hepatic incision; ③laying sutures on both sides of the hepatic incision for traction; ④wedge-shapedly resecting the tumor and the surrounding liver; ⑤closely sewing up the hepatic cutting surface.Results Two hundreds and thirty three patients with PLC were treated by LSH between Oct. 1991 and Dec. 1997 in Zhongshan hospital, Shanghai medical university. Among them 8 cases underwent initial hepatectomy and resection for recurrence of the tumor. The operative mortality rate was 1.2%, 2 died of hepatic failure and 1 renal failure. In addition to bile leakage in 3 cases and hydropsy at the operative area in one case, no severe postoperative complications were found, such as intraperitoneal bleeding, subphrenic abscess and so on. The 1-,3-,5-year survival rates were 89.8%, 64.3% and 55.9% respectively, in 233 patients with 241 LSHs. 25 patients survived more than 5 years. The result indicated that the most advantage of LSH was to increase operative safety on the basis of guarantee of radical resection of PLC, especially to decrease some complications from hepatic cutting surface.Conclusion LSH is a relatively simple, safe, reasonable and recommendable hepatectomic modality.
Soluble interleukin-2 recepter(sIL-2R）levels, NK activity and T lymphocyte subpopulation in peripheral blood were determined in 34 cases of primary liver cancer (PLC). The results showed that the mean level of sIL-2R and CD8 in the patients with primary liver cancer were higher than that in health subjects (Plt;0.01or Plt;0.05), NK activity and T lymphocyte subpopulation (CD3,CD4,CD4/CD8) in the patients with primary liver cancer were much lower than that in health subjects (Plt;0.01), sIL-2R levels in stage II, III patients with primary liver cancer were significantly higher than that in stage I (Plt;0.01). The 6-month mortality rate in 3 groups of patients with sIL-2R level ≥1000u/ml, 500-1000u/ml, andlt;500u/ml were 80.0%, 29.4%and 0 respectively. sIL-2R levels were also decreased (Plt;0.05) in patient with primary liver cancer 4 weeks after immune therapy, but the cell-mediated immunity was increased. It suggests that sIL-2R level determination in peripheral blood is a new biological marker for the assessment of the stage, the response to medical intervention, the prognosis and cell-mediated immunity in primary liver cancer.
Objective To systematically evaluate AFP as the diagnostic standard for Chinese primary liver cancer (PLC). Methods A comprehensive electronic search and additional manual tracking were performed to retrieve relevant studies on AFP in diagnosis of Chinese PLC. All studies were divided into three groups according to the cutoff value of AFP: 20 or 25 ?g/L, 200 ?g/L, 400 ?g/L (Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively). The data about the accuracy of the included studies were extracted for further heterogeneity studies; statistical pooling and SROC (summary receiver operating characteristics) were analyzed using MetaDisc 1.4 software. Results Twenty studies which were selected from 1,062 references met the inclusion criteria. Heterogeneity (except for threshold effect) was found within the three groups. A Meta-analysis was performed using the random effect model. Compared with the other two groups, the specificity of Group 3 (AFP 400 ?g/L) was the highest (0.977, 95%CI 0.967 to 0.985) and sensitivity was the lowest (0.422, 95%CI 0.403 to 0.441). The values of LR+ and dOR were lower than those of Group 2 (AFP 200?g/L) (17.691: 19.669; 32.820: 53.599, respectively). Area under curve (AUC) of SROC and Q index of Group 3 were also lower than those of Group 2 (0.6575: 0.832 3; 0.633 8: 0.782 2, respectively). Conclusion Four-hundred ?g/L of AFP as the diagnostic standard for PLC is not good enough, and we suggest that 200 ?g/L may be better than 400 ?g/L for PLC diagnosis.