Dendritic cell vaccine combined with transarterial chemoembolization and preconditioning cyclophosphamide for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)remains a major health threat worldwide.The disease burden in China is very heavy that the morbidity and mortality of HCC patients in our country account for more than half of the total worldwide.Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)is the first-line treatment recommended for HCC patients who are not suitable for surgical resection or have localized lesions.Its effectiveness has been widely confirmed though accompanied by varying degrees of side effects,and TACE is considered to have only a palliative effect.Dendritic cells(DCs)are powerful antigen-presenting cells,and play an important role in mediating innate and adaptive immune responses.Considering that a large number of tumor antigens are released after TACE,TACE combined with immunotherapy may improve the therapeutic effect on patients with HCC.This article briefly discusses the principle,approach,and potential efficacy of TACE plus DC vaccine and conditioning cyclophosphamide in treating patients with HCC based on a clinical trial initiated by the authors.