Clinical Application of a Combination Therapy of Lentinan, Multi-Electrode RFA and TACE in HCC

Authors: Po Yang, Minghui Liang, Yingxun Zhang, Baozhong Shen

Journal: Advances in Therapy

Study Design: The study was a clinical trial that investigated the efficacy of a combination therapy involving lentinan (a fungal extract), transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE), and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The patients were divided into four groups: TACE only, RFA only, RFA and TACE, and the combination group (lentinan, RFA, and TACE). The primary outcome measures were tumor necrosis, tumor recurrence rate, and mean survival duration.

Participants: 78 patients with HCC confirmed by pathology and iconographical checks. The mean tumor diameter was 6.5 cm.

Intervention:

• Combination group: Lentinan (500 mg/day for 18 months), RFA, and TACE
• RFA and TACE group: RFA and TACE
• RFA group: RFA only
• TACE group: TACE only

Outcome Measures:

• Tumor necrosis
• Tumor recurrence rate
• Mean survival duration

Summary: The combination therapy group showed significantly higher tumor necrosis (88.6%) and lower tumor recurrence rate (17.8%) compared to the other groups . The mean survival duration was also significantly higher in the combination group (28.2 months). The study concluded that the combination therapy involving lentinan, RFA, and TACE was beneficial in terms of increasing mean survival duration, tumor necrosis, and reducing the recurrence rate. Lentinan may, therefore, be of benefit to HCC patients.