Co-antitumor effect and hepatic protection of melatonin on advanced primary liver cancer treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization

Objective:To observe the co-antitumor effect and hepatic protection of melatonin on unresectable advanced primary liver cancer treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Methods:One hundred and forty patients with unresectable advanced primary liver cancer were divided into 2 groups at random, seventy patients received TACE alone while the other 70 patients were treated by TACE+Mel (20 mg/d at 8:00 P.M orally, 7 d before each TACE and lasted for 21 d). Results: The partly resolution rate of TACE and TACE+Mel were 12.86% and 22.86% respectively( P 0.05). The secondary resectable rate of TACE and TACE+Mel were 4.26% and 12.86% respectively ( P 0.01).The 0.5-year,1-year and 3 year survival rate of TACE group were 80%,54.29% and 11.43% respectively, and those of TACE+Mel were 100%,68.57% and 21.43% respectively ( P 0.05). Mel had significant protection and treatment effect on the liver function damage after TACE. NK activity and the ratio of CD4 to CD8 were raised and IL-2 levels in patients were significantly increased while sIL-2R expression decreased after treated by TACE+Mel, but there was no change in TACE group ( P 0.01). Conclusion: Mel has definite co-antitumor effect and hepatic protection on advanced primary liver cancer treated by TACE,it can protect liver function against the damage induced by TACE, enhance immunological protection of the patients,and improve the effect of TACE extending survival period of patients and increasing the secondary resectable opportunity.