[Significance of reduction surgery for stage IV hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and postoperative immunochemotherapy for extension of survival period].

A retrospective analysis of 35 stage IV HCC (26 IV-A case and 9 IV-B cases) which underwent reduction surgery from 1983 suggested a possibility to extend their survival period by decrease in their tumor-mass and subsequent immunochemotherapy for improvement of their depressed immunity. Their operability depended on the clinical stage of accompanying liver cirrhosis and extent of distant organ metastasis. It is of first importance for reduction surgery to select intrahepatic multiple tumors, slow-growing and not rapidly to induce distant organ metastases, among them. Intrahepatic tumors arising from multicentric origins were found in 42% in IV-A cases but 0% in IV-B. DNA ploidy analysis of the multicentric tumors in 8 cases did not show any clear indication of resectable tumors according to DNA index. The present immunochemotherapy is composed of a continuous infusion of IL2 and intermittent one-shot injections of 10mg ADR to the remnant liver by using subcutaneously implanted pump. In patients who could enhance peripheral NK and LAK activities by the immunotherapy, decreases in intra- and extra- hepatic tumors were observed. The 2 year-survival rate was 49% in IV-A, but only one case who is receiving the immunotherapy is surviving over 2 years in IV-B.