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  • Title: Importance of branched-chain amino acids in patients with liver cirrhosis and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma receiving hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy.
    Author: Kanekawa T, Nagai H, Kanayama M, Sumino Y.
    Journal: Cancer Chemother Pharmacol; 2014 Nov; 74(5):899-909. PubMed ID: 25138286.
    Abstract:
    PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to clarify the effect of a branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) on the liver function and the prognosis of Child-Pugh class (C-P) A and B liver cirrhosis (LC) patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) undergoing hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC). METHODS: Ninety-two adult Japanese patients with LC and aHCC underwent HAIC. They were in C-P A or B, and they showed multiple partial responses or stable disease. We excluded 11 patients classified as C-P C and 47 patients who showed no response. The patients were divided into an HAIC group receiving HAIC alone (n = 43) and a BCAA group treated with HAIC plus BCAA (n = 49). HAIC was delivered via the proper hepatic artery. The BCAA group also received oral administration of BCAA. RESULTS: In the BCAA group, serum albumin increased significantly after HAIC, while there were no significant changes in serum total bilirubin, serum aminotransferases, prothrombin time, ascites, and hepatic encephalopathy. The C-P score decreased significantly after HAIC compared with before HAIC in C-P B patients, although there was no significant change in C-P A patients. Survival of the BCAA group was significantly longer than that of the HAIC group, with the median survival time being 426 versus 272 days for C-P B patients, although there was no significant difference for C-P A patients. CONCLUSIONS: Branched-chain amino acids might improve the survival and C-P score by increasing serum albumin in C-P B patients with aHCC receiving HAIC.
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