Objective: To study the usefulness of anti-estrogen therapy for moderately and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods: Estrogen receptors (ER) were examined in 51 cases of HCC by immunohistochemical staining of needle aspiration biopsy HCC specimens. The cases studied were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (N = 25) and the anti-estrogen treated group (N = 26). Patients in the control group were given matelin and immune RNA while those in the anti-estrogen treated group were given Tamoxifen in addition. A 50% reduction of serum AFP level and a 50% decrease in tumor size were considered therapeutically effective.
Results: In the control group, the response rate as judged by AFP level (RR-AFP) and by tumor size (RR-TS) in the ER+ patients was 42.9% (3 of 7 cases) and 14.3% (1 of 7 cases), respectively, while the 2 RRs in the ER- patients were lower but the difference was statistically insignificant. In contrast, in the Tamoxifen-treated group, RR-AFP was 83.3% (5 of 6 cases) and RR-TS was 50.0% (3 of 6 cases). The difference in RRs of ER+ patients in the 2 groups was statistically significant. No complete remission was observed.
Conclusion: Endocrinotherapy may be of value in the treatment of ER+ HCC.