Combination Therapy of Microwave Ablation and Cellular Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

HCC (D ≤5 cm, fewer than three tumors) patients were treated with radical MWA and 4-6 courses of immunotherapy with CIK every year. The immunotherapy were started at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks, 18 weeks and then every 12 weeks after MWA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were differentiated into phenotypically confirmed DCs and effector cells. DC-CIK and CTL were injected into the abdominal cavity. CIK was infused intravenously. The safety, survival effect and peripheral T-lymphocyte subsets of combination therapy group will be recorded and compared with those of MWA group.

Inclusion criteria

• single HCC of 5 cm or smaller;
• three or fewer multiple HCC with a maximum dimension of 3 cm or less;
• absence of portal vein thrombosis or extrahepatic metastases;
• Child-Pugh classification A or B;
• tumor accessible via a percutaneous approach. white blood cell count >2 x 109/L, platelet count >40 x 109/L,serum creatinine <110 μmol/L, aspartate aminotransferase <3 times the upper limit, serum bilirubin <2.5 times the upper limit, prothrombin time <19 seconds.

Exclusion criteria

• pregnant or breast-feeding; psychiatric problems, addiction, or any other disorder that prevented informed consent;
• active uncontrolled infection; concurrent systemic corticosteroid treatment;
• systemic autoimmune disease;
• clinically significant ischemic heart disease or cardiac failure;
• and chemotherapy or radiotherapy within the preceding 6 months