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Effect of Serum Interleukin-6 Concentration on the Prognosis After Radiotherapy for Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

  • 0Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Feng Lin Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology +

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December 2, 2024

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December 2, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Elevated interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels before radiotherapy correlate with poorer prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Lower IL-6 concentrations indicate improved overall survival and progression-free survival after treatment.

Area Of Science

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Radiotherapy

Background

  • Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant global health concern.
  • Radiotherapy (RT) is a treatment modality for HCC.
  • Identifying prognostic biomarkers is crucial for optimizing HCC patient outcomes.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To investigate the association between pre-treatment serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and prognosis in HCC patients undergoing RT.
  • To determine if IL-6 concentration is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Main Methods

  • Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 101 HCC patients who received RT.
  • Measurement of serum IL-6 concentration before RT.
  • Kaplan-Meier method for survival rate calculation.
  • Cox proportional hazards regression model for identifying independent prognostic factors.
  • X-tile software to determine the optimal IL-6 cut-off value (7.8 pg/mL).

Main Results

  • Patients with pre-RT IL-6 > 7.8 pg/mL had significantly lower 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates compared to those with IL-6 ≤ 7.8 pg/mL (p < 0.001).
  • Median PFS was shorter for patients with higher pre-RT IL-6 levels (7.5 months vs. 15.1 months, p=0.001).
  • Pre-RT IL-6 concentration was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR=3.421, p=0.004) and PFS (HR=2.235, p=0.014).

Conclusions

  • Higher pre-RT serum IL-6 concentration (> 7.8 pg/mL) is associated with worse prognosis in HCC patients treated with RT.
  • Pre-treatment IL-6 levels serve as a valuable independent prognostic biomarker for HCC patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Keywords: