Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0345904 (liver cancer)
 15,188 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The present paper describes the present status of clinical tests for cancer in Japan. Since no cancer-specific substance has been found so far the clinical tests for cancer at present are always quantitative but not qualitative. Among these substances, alpha-fetoprotein is one of the most specific substances for cancer and its test is essential for diagnosis of hepatoma beins used worldwide. AFP is a specific product of liver cancer cells. The measurement of carcinoembryonic antigen in patient blood is a hopeful method for cancer diagnosis. This substance is not specifically produced by cancer cells, but the phenomenon of appearance in bloodstream appears to be cancer-specific. This may reflect the invasion of blood vessels in tissues such as colorectum, lung, etc., by infiltration of cancer cell. This is the reason for the appearance of CEA in a wide variety of cancers. There are many other clinical tests at present but these are only secondary aids for the diagnosis of cancer. This is the reason why the description concentrates mostly on AFP and CEA. The companies manufacturing the kits for these tests in Japan are also listed in this paper.
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PMID:The development of laboratory tests for cancer in Japan with special reference to carcinoembryonic proteins. 7 74

Murine AFP has been reported to be immunosuppressive in a variety of systems. However, the extent and degree of inhibition has varied in different species and laboratories. Therefore, we have examined the potential suppressive effect of purified human AFP on several in vitro tests of cellular immunity and the potential mechanism of its action. AFP purified from fetal and liver cancer sera significantly inhibited mitogen and antigen-induced proliferative responses but had no effect on lymphocyte E rosetting, MIF production or mitogen induced T cell cytotoxicity to Chang target cells. Purified human AFP induced human suppressor cell activity, capable of suppressing a one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLC). In contrast to Con A induced suppressor cells, AFP induced suppressor cell activity was overcome by mitogen augmentation of the proliferative response in MLC. These data suggest that the inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation by human AFP may be mediated by the induction of a subpopulation of human suppressor cells. Furthermore, mitogen induced cell mediated cytotoxicity was partially inhibited by primary liver cancer serum and completely inhibited by newborn cord serum, in contrast to purified fetal or tumor AFP which had no effect. These data suggest that there are other immunosuppressive factors in fetal and tumor serum which require further characterization. These other serum factors may be responsible for some of the immunosuppressive effects attributed to AFP. Although AFP is unlikely to play a major immunosuppressive role physiologically in vivo, its selective effect on proliferative responses, apparently mediated by suppressor cells, may prove to be a useful pharmacologic probe of the mechanism of these in vitro lymphocyte responses and biological interactions.
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PMID:Immunosuppressive characteristics of human AFP: effect on tests of cell mediated immunity and induction of human suppressor cells. 7 49

The authors presented a patient with primary gastric cancer and liver metastases. They permanently observed the AFP concentrations before, during and after cytostatic therapy. At the same time they examined possible sites of AFP production. It is supposed that AFP neo-synthesis takes place in the secondary site with participation of altered liver cells. In such cases it is important to watch the AFP values, and this is also necessary when the primary source of the secondary liver cancer is not known. Cytostatic drugs act only in a palliative way i.e. AFP concentrations drop to a lower level and the patient feels temporarily better.
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PMID:Alpha-feto protein in the serum of patients with primary gastric cancer and liver metastases. 9 Apr 39

Patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis (n 1441) and those with post-transfusion hepatitis (n 343), whose medical expenses were subsidized by the Aichi Prefectural Government, were followed up for three years by record linkage with the Aichi Cancer Registry. During the follow-up period, 122 incident cases of liver cancer were identified. Compared with the general population, patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis were at a 64.9 times greater risk (50.5 times in males and 100.4 times in females) and those with post-transfusion hepatitis were at a 9.4 times greater risk (8.9 times in males and 13.7 times in females) of developing liver cancer. Information on prognostic factors for 1,068 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis was also collected in a questionnaire survey by the physicians in charge. Patients positive to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) and those positive to HBe Ag had a significantly increased risk of subsequent liver cancer. The risk of developing liver cancer was positively associated with base-line levels of GPT and AFP and age and, inversely associated with total alcohol intake and female sex. In multivariate analyses, the associations with HBe Ag, AFP, sex and age remained statistically significant, whereas the associations with GPT, total alcohol intake and HBs Ag were of borderline significance.
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PMID:The risk and predictive factors for developing liver cancer among patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. 127 45

After 12 days of culture, VX2 carcinoma cells were inoculated into the liver of 16 rabbits; 14 days later, 131I-labeled iodized oil ([131I]-Lp) suspended in lipiodol was injected into the hepatic artery. Selective accumulation of the contrast material in the tumor for an extended time was evident on X-rays and hepatic scintiphotographs. The antitumor effect was remarkable. [131I]-Lp agents warrant further examination for their clinical usefulness. Internal radiation therapy by transcatheter hepatic arterial injection of [131I]-Lp (group A) was evaluated in 9 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, tumor stage III or IV) associated with liver cirrhosis (LC) and compared with combination therapy of Lp-TAE (group B) in 18 patients with HCC (tumor stage III or IV) associated with LC. In group A, serum AFP levels dropped rapidly in eight of the nine patients who had an elevated initial level of more than 500 ng/ml. The average reduction in tumor size was 50% in eight cases as determined by computed tomography. Histological examination of one resected liver specimen at 3 months after the third injection of [131I]-Lp revealed microscopic features highly suggestive of a radiation effect in the [131I]-Lp-containing area. The 1-year survival value for patients with HCC was estimated at 49.0% using the Kaplan-Meier method. The survival of patients treated with internal radiation therapy tended to be better than that of those treated with Lp-TAE (P = 0.119).
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PMID:Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma by transcatheter hepatic arterial injection of radioactive iodized oil solution. 128 Oct 43

The Hokkaido Liver Cancer Study Group focused on the changes in PIVKA-II levels observed in 61 HCC patients after several regimens of treatment in comparison with the AFP levels and the pathophysiological characteristics of HCC. The overall positivity rate for PIVKA-II was 47%, and there was no correlation between the PIVKA-II values and the AFP levels. Accordingly, the HCC detection rate was increased by about 20% by the measurement of both markers. In all, 13 patients underwent hepatic resection, and nonsurgical therapy was carried out in the other 48 subjects. Of the 6 surgically treated patients, 5 (83%) showed a fall in PIVKA-II levels to the normal range immediately after surgery, whereas 14/29 (48%) subjects receiving nonsurgical treatment showed a decrease in PIVKA-II values. Although inconsistency between these tumor markers was detected in four treated cases, we concluded that assay for both of these two parameters may expand their clinical utility for the diagnosis of HCC and monitoring of patients after treatment.
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PMID:Changes in the plasma abnormal prothrombin level following treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. 128 Oct 44

We developed a modified transcatheter arterial infusion method using anticancer agents to treat hepatic malignancies; intermittent injections of iodized oil, lipiodol, containing adriamycin or epirubicin during the arterial infusion of cisplatin (75-200 mg/body) in order to achieve a higher concentration and longer retention of these anticancer agents in the tumor tissue. Fourteen patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and five patients with metastatic liver cancer were treated with this "pile-up" arterial infusion therapy by anticancer agents without gelatin sponge TAE. In HCC patients, 50% or greater reduction in tumor size was obtained in 7 of 14 patients (50%). Serum AFP levels decreased by more than 75% in 6 of 7 patients in whom pretreatment serum levels of AFP were more than 200 ng/ml. The one-year and two-year survival rates were estimated at 55% and 27.5%, respectively, by the Kaplan-Meier method. Significant reduction in tumor size was not observed in 5 cases with metastatic liver cancer. Concerning the adverse effects, alimentary symptoms and fever were noted for a few days in many cases, but they were temporary and tolerable in almost all of the patients. Severe adverse changes in laboratory data were not observed. Thus this "pile-up" infusion therapy of anticancer agents without TAE may be a useful therapy for HCC.
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PMID:[Transarterial "pile-up" infusion therapy of cisplatin and lipiodol emulsion in hepatic malignancies without TAE (transcatheter arterial embolization)]. 131 12

By means of immunohistochemical technique ABC, using monoclonal anti-transferrin receptor (TFR) antibodies WuT9 and OKT9, TFR expression in 30 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and in 6 cases of organs and tissues of normal human bodies was studied. It was revealed that large amount of TFR were expressed in liver cancer cells, but not in the surrounding mesenchymal cells as demonstrated by intense immunostaining in cancer nests, and even not in the surrounding mesenchyma of those HCC patients with negative AFP in their serum. In normal human body, only small amount of TFR in limited sites was found without free antigen in blood stream. Thus, it followed that TFR as a structural antigen of HCC was expressed with higher relative specificity than AFP, and TFR may be considered a tumor marker and therapeutic target of HCC.
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PMID:[Immunohistochemical study of transferrin receptor expression in hepatocellular carcinoma]. 132 39

Transcatheter chemoembolization (TCE) followed by laparotomy was performed in 12 patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (HCC). Each patient received TCE for 1-5 times with an interval of 4-6 weeks. The embolizing reagents included mitomycin C (20-40 mg), adriamycin (20-60 mg) and 40% lipiodol (2-10 ml). Results showed that the AFP level remarkably decreased even became normal and tumor size reduced. Partial hepatectomy was carried out in all 12 patients undergoing laparotomy except one with extensive abdominal metastasis. Histopathological study showed tissue necrosis and fibrosis at different stages in the surrounding liver parenchyma especially in the tumour area. Apart from sclerotic lesions, one or two daughter nodules were found in 2 patients. residual liver cancer was found in all of the 11 patients. Reexploration was made one year after liver resection in one patient for local recurrence and metastasis. The other two with right lung metastatic tumour 4-6 months after operation were given transcatheter pulmonary arterial embolization. We consider TCE as an effective adjuvant therapy to the combined treatment of liver carcinoma. It is suggested that TCE is indicated for unresectable HCCs, resectable HCCs with poor liver function, those associated with portal hypertension, and recurrent HCCs.
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PMID:[Transcatheter chemoembolization combined with hepatectomy for primary hepatic carcinoma. A clinical and pathological study]. 133 14

The evaluation of radioimmunotherapy using 131I-anti HCC isoferritin IgG antibody in the multimodality treatment of HCC was reported. Forty three patients with surgically verified unresectable HCC have been treated by radioimmunotherapy as a part of multimodality treatment during 1985-1990. The short-term responses and prolong survival were compared with that in control group of 39 patients with HCC receiving conventional multimodality treatment. The rates of tumor shrinkage, AFP level decline and second resection in radioimmunotherapy group were 67.4% (29/43), 69.6% (16/23) and 30.2% (13/43) respectively, significantly higher than those in control group 23.1% (15/39), 40.0% (8/20) and 10.3% (4/39) respectively. The 1, 3, 5-year survival rates were 61.5%, 40.4% and 35.5% in radioimmunotherapy group, however, in control group were 51.3%, 20.1% and 15.5%, respectively. The results suggested that radioimmunotherapy is one of modalities of choice, particularly for the treatment of unresectable HCC in the multimodality treatment regimen.
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PMID:[Evaluation of radioimmunotherapy in the multimodality treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)]. 133 85


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