Table 1.
Clinical studies applying CIK cells for the treatment of HCC.
| Study Reference | Patients (n) Total | Patients (n) Treated with CIK Cells | Therapy | Results | Conclusions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takayama et al. (2000) [34] |
150 | 76 | Resection; Immunotherapy group: additional infusions of lymphocytes activated in vitro with rIL-2 and anti-CD3 | Better recurrence-free in immunotherapy group; no differences in OS between the two groups | CIK cell therapy can improve recurrence-free outcomes after surgery |
| Hao et al. (2010) [39] |
146 | 72 | TACE; Immunotherapy group: additional i.v. CIK cell transfusions | Improved PFS and OS in TACE plus CIK cell therapy group | Adjuvant immunotherapy with CIK cells improve the efficacy of TACE in HCC patients |
| Wang et al. (2012) [40] |
95 | 48 | TACE/RFA; Immunotherapy group: additional CIK cell transfusions | Significantly longer DFS in CIK cell plus TACE with RFA group; no significant difference for OS | Recurrence can be controlled by CIK infusion combined with TACE and RFA |
| Lee et al. (2015) [41] |
230 | 115 | TACE/RFA or percutaneous ethanol injection PEI Immunotherapy group: additional i.v. CIK cell transfusions |
RFS and OS significantly better in immunotherapy group; no significant for severe adverse events between the two groups | CIK cells can prevent recurrence and improve survival in combination with surgical resection, RFA or percutaneous ethanol injection |