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 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 explore the curative effect of surgical treatment for primary liver cancer with portal vein tumor thrombus（PVTT）. Methods The clinical data of 227 patients who were performed surgical treatment because of primary liver cancer with PVTT were analyzed retrospectively. Results Two hundreds and seventeen cases were performed surgical resection, 14 cases died from postoperative complications. The median survival time was 17.7 months, and the l-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 61.9%, 37.2%, 21.7%, and 4.0% respectively. There were 40 cases with PVTT ofⅠtype, the l-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 82.3% , 61.7%, 38.6%, and 6.6% respectively，which was obviously higher than those with PVTT of Ⅱ type （n=129, 61.1%, 34.3%, 20.8%, and 5.3%） and PVTT of Ⅲ type （n=48, 46.8%, 24.0%, 9.6%, and 0）, P＜0.05. There were 84 cases whose PVTT and tumor were resected together, the l-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 67.3%, 43.2%, 28.1%, and 7.9% respectively，which were obviously higher than those patients whose PVTT were removed from cross-section of liver （n= 85, 65.1%, 38.8%, 22.3%, and 3.4%） and patients whose PVTT were removed by cutting the portal vein （n=48, 46.8%, 24.0%, 9.6%, and 0）, P＜0.05. The l-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of 76 cases who received postoperative therapy of TACE/TAI were 75.3%, 53.2%, 33.1%, and 5.7% respectively, which were obviously higher than those patients who were not received any postoperative therapy （n=141, 54.8%, 29.1%, 15.9%, and 3.2%）, P＜0.05. Conclusions Surgical treatment is an effective treatment for primary liver cancer with PVTT. Surgery should strive for resecting the tumor and PVTT together, and postoperative therapy of TACE/TAI may have a favorable effect on the long term survival rate.
Objective To improve the prognosis of primary liver cancer with portal vein tumor thrombus （PVTT）， the progress of treatment for primary liver cancer with PVTT was reviewed. Methods The therapeutic approach and its efficacy for primary liver cancer with PVTT were summarized by literature search within recent years. Results PVTT is a common complication of primary liver cancer， the therapeutic approach are surgical resection， transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), intraportal venous therapy， radiotherapy， ablation therapy, molecular targeted therapy， etc. The excision rate for primary liver cancer with PVTT is low， the treatment is difficult and the outcome is dismal. It remains a poor prognosis at present， and the therapeutic effect need to be promoted. Conclusions The main treatment for primary liver cancer with PVTT should be surgical excision combine with other multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment to improve the survival in patients with PVTT， moreover， the therapeutic approach should be individualized and sequentially according to the patient’s condition and the type of PVTT.