The long-term efficacy of cytokine-induced killer cellular therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis

Aim: The long-term efficacy of cytokine-induced killer cellular therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients after curative treatments remains controversial. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted, and the outcomes were the recurrence rate and overall survival. Results: Eight randomized clinical trials with 1038 participants were included. Compared with the control group, cytokine-induced killer cellular therapy group could reduce 1-year, 3-year recurrence rates, as well as improve 1–5 years overall survival for hepatocellular carcinoma patients (p < 0.05). However, it failed to affect the 5-year recurrence rate and 6-year overall survival (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Cytokine-induced killer cellular adjuvant therapy exerted a favorable role in improving early and long-term efficacy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients.