@article{15eee4d81e0c470898117781f4b310fb,
title = "Sustained efficacy of adjuvant immunotherapy with cytokine-induced killer cells for hepatocellular carcinoma: an extended 5-year follow-up",
abstract = " Our earlier multicenter randomized controlled trial showed that adjuvant immunotherapy with cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells resulted in longer recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) as well in patients who received curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we determined if the efficacy of CIK cell therapy continued after end of repeated CIK cell injections. We performed a follow-up study of our preceding trial. We included 226 patients: 114 patients in the immunotherapy group (injection of 6.4 × 10 9 CIK cells, 16 times during 60 weeks) and 112 patients in the control group (no treatment) after potentially curative treatment for HCC. In total, 162 patients (89 of the immunotherapy group and 73 of controls) underwent an extended follow-up for 60 months after randomization of the last patient. The primary endpoint was RFS, and secondary endpoints included OS. During follow-up time of median 68.5 months (interquartile range 45.0–82.2 months), the immunotherapy group continued to show a significantly lower risk of recurrence or death [hazard ratio (HR) 0.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48–0.94; P = 0.009 by one-sided log-rank test]. At 5 years, RFS rate was 44.8% in the immunotherapy group and 33.1% in the control group. The risk of all-cause death was also lower in the immunotherapy group compared to the control group (HR 0.33; 95% CI 0.15–0.76; P = 0.006). In patients who received curative treatment for HCC, the significant improvement in RFS and OS as a result of adjuvant CIK cell immunotherapy lasted over 5 years without boosting. ",
keywords = "Adjuvant immunotherapy, Cytokine-induced killer cell, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Overall survival, Recurrence-free survival",
author = "Lee, {Jeong Hoon} and Lee, {Joon Hyeok} and Lim, {Young Suk} and Yeon, {Jong Eun} and Song, {Tae Jin} and Yu, {Su Jong} and Gwak, {Geum Youn} and Kim, {Kang Mo} and Kim, {Yoon Jun} and Lee, {Jae Won} and Yoon, {Jung Hwan}",
note = "Funding Information: Funding The trial was supported by GREEN CROSS CELL Corp. (Seoul, Korea). The study was designed by the sponsor in conjunction with the principal academic investigators. Data were managed in parallel by the sponsor and the principal investigators. Funding Information: Conflict of interest These authors disclose the following: Dr. Joon Hyeok Lee reports receiving grants from GREEN CROSS CELL Corp., Bukwang Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, JW Creagene, and GlaxoS-mithKline, and lecture fees from Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Science, Bukwang Pharmaceuticals, and GlaxoSmithKline, and serving as an advisory board member of Gilead Science and Bristol-Myers Squibb; Dr. Jung-Hwan Yoon, research grants from AstraZeneca and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals; Dr. Young-Suk Lim, research grants from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Science, and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals; Dr. Jong Eun Yeon, research grant from Yuhan Pharmaceuticals, and Jeil Pharmaceuticals, and serving as an advisory board member of Bayer Korea; Dr. Yoon Jun Kim, research grants from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, JW Creagene, Bukwang Pharmaceuticals, Handok Pharmaceuticals, Hanmi Pharmaceuticals, Yuhan Pharmaceuticals, Samjin Pharmaceuticals, and Funding Information: Pharmaking, and lecture fees from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Science, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) Korea, Yuhan Pharmaceuticals, Samil Pharmaceuticals, CJ Pharmaceuticals, Buk-wang Pharmaceuticals, and Handok Pharmaceuticals; Dr. Kang Mo Kim, research grants from AstraZeneca, Yuhan Pharmaceuticals, and Il-dong Pharmaceuticals, lecture fees from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, MSD, and GlaxoSmithKline, and consulting fee from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals; Dr. Geum-Youn Gwak, lecture fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb, JW Creagene, Handok Pharmaceuticals and MSD Korea; and Dr. Su Jong Yu, lecture fee from Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. No other potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported. Dr. Jeong-Hoon Lee, Dr. Tae-Jin Song, and Dr. Jae Won Lee report no conflict of interest.",
year = "2019",
month = jan,
day = "25",
doi = "10.1007/s00262-018-2247-4",
language = "English",
volume = "68",
pages = "23--32",
journal = "Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy",
issn = "0340-7004",
publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH",
number = "1",
}