Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide with increasing incidence in the Western World. In contrast to most other malignancies, only surgical and local ablative therapeutic options have shown efficacy in patients with HCC. Systemic chemotherapy has failed to show a substantial benefit for these patients. Therefore, a number of immunotherapeutic trials have been performed to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy for the treatment of HCC. Although only a limited number of patients have been enrolled in most trials so far, results from these studies clearly suggest that immunotherapy is safe in HCC patients. Here, we review recent immunotherapy trials in HCC.

Keywords: Radiofrequency thermo ablation, Transarterial chemoembolization, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, Interferon, Dendritic Cell