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. 2021 Nov 3:13:8273-8279.
doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S334171. eCollection 2021.

Efficacy and Safety of Interferon-Alpha 2b for Patients with Hepatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma: Outcomes of a Case-Series Analysis

Xiaolei Liu  1 , Zihuan Zhang  1 , Jia Huang  1 , Haidong Tan  1 , Zhiying Yang  1
Affiliations

Efficacy and Safety of Interferon-Alpha 2b for Patients with Hepatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma: Outcomes of a Case-Series Analysis

Xiaolei Liu et al. Cancer Manag Res. .

Abstract

Background: Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEH) is a rare tumor type. No effective medicine or standard treatment for HEH has been established.

Patients and methods: From March 2014 to April 2021, 62 patients with pathologically diagnosed HEH were observed regularly, and interferon-alpha 2b (IFN-a 2b) was administered to patients with progressive disease or reoccurrence. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed and recorded, and a tumor assessment scan was performed every 3 months.

Results: A total of 42 patients with HEH received IFN-a 2b treatment in this study. No severe (grade ≥3) AEs were reported in the group overall. The most common treatment-related AEs in patients receiving IFN-a 2b were fever (50.0%) and fatigue (21.4%). Partial response and complete response were achieved in 20 patients (47.6%) and 2 patients (4.8%), respectively, and the objective response rate was 52.4%. Stable disease was observed in 12 patients (28.6%), and the disease control rate was 81.0%. Progressive disease was observed in 8 patients (19.0%). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year progression-free survival rates were 81.0%, 69.2%, and 62.3%, respectively. Only 1 patient died as a result of disease progression during the study. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 100%, 97.2%, and 97.2%, respectively.

Conclusion: IFN-a 2b is a safe and effective treatment for patients with HEH. The encouraging results with IFN-a 2b use make it a promising option for patients who have other types of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma; additional clinical trials are needed.

Keywords: chemotherapy; epithelioid hemangioendothelioma; interferon; liver; sarcoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The complete response to interferon-alpha 2b (IFN-a 2b) is illustrated in a female patient who had progressive disease after treatment with transarterial embolization (TAE). (A) Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan reveals multiple intrahepatic lesions. (B) After TAE, intrahepatic tumors progressed (marked with white arrows), and new lesions occurred (marked with red arrows). Then, IFN-a 2b treatment started. (C) Ten months after initiation of IFN-a 2b treatment, the size of tumors had decreased significantly (marked with black arrows). (D) Eighteen months after initiation of IFN-a 2b treatment, the intrahepatic tumors disappeared.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The partial response to interferon-alpha 2b (IFN-a 2b) is illustrated in a male patient who experienced disease reoccurrence after surgery. (A) Small lesions were found 18 months after surgery. (B) Intrahepatic lesions (marked with white arrows) progressed after 12 months of observation. (C) Intrahepatic lesions (marked with white arrows) continued to progress after 24 months of observation, and IFN-a 2b was treatment started. (D) Fifteen months after initiation of IFN-a 2b treatment, the size of tumors decreased (marked with black arrows).
Figure 3
Figure 3
The flowchart and brief results of this study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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